Frequently asked questions

A Co-operative Society IS its members. The Society exists for the common good of its members rewarding their loyalty with a share of the profits which can be spent in society stores.

Becoming a member of Chelmsford Star Co-operative makes you one of our shareholders – an owner of the business. The points you earn with us will be converted into a share of the profits depending on how much profit we make, and this will alter from year to year.

Points can be collected on your membership card every time you shop in Chelmsford Star Co-operative stores, including food shops, departmental stores, travel agents and funeral homes.  Some exclusions apply.
Your card can also be used in any other Co-operative Society participating in The Co-operative Membership scheme. Look for a yellow membership sticker displayed prominently on the front door or window.

Just like you can have different car manufacturers selling different cars, you can have different Co-operative Societies selling different products. A co-op is a way of operating, not a business in itself. Chelmsford Star Co-operative operates in Essex, East of England Co-op operates in East Anglia, and The Co-operative Group operates nationally, but they are all entirely separate businesses.

At Chelmsford Star, we announce our financial results annually in early May at our AGM. Once we know how much the points are worth, our members have them converted into their electronic share of the profits the following day. If you have made purchases from other participating societies, any share of their profits will be added to your card after they have declared their results.

Full details will be available in-store and online in the weeks running up to any members meeting.

Not at all. In fact there are lots of ways members can get involved, for example voting on important issues affecting our business or attending local events. Members may wish to play a bigger part by joining committees or even becoming a board member.

* Abide by the rules of the Society
* Use the trading services of the Society
* Not to act to the detriment of the Society
* Acknowledge and subscribe to the Values and Principles set out in the Statement of Co-operative Identity of the International Co-operative Alliance
* Take an interest in the governance of the Society and vote in director elections and attend Annual General Meetings where possible

You invest £1. You can either include £1 with your application form, take it to any of our stores to be processed through the till, or join online and pay via PayPal.

If you can’t find the answer on our Membership pages, call our Membership Hotline on 0800 2540404.
Alternatively, e-mail membership@chelmsfordstar.coop, send us a message on Facebook: /ChelmsfordStarCoop, Tweet us: @CStarCoop or text us at 60777 (start your message with the word STAR).

To become a member simply join online here, or complete and return an application form to the FREEPOST address below:

Freepost
ANG2556
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 0YY