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Britain the Co-op —— Victorian secret
英國 Co-op 集團：維多利亞的秘密
The member-owned business has regained its mojo
會員制商業模式重獲魔力
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The ovoid structure near Victoria station, to the north of Manchester city centre, is the most striking of the city ’ s many modern glass buildings. It is to be the home to the Co-operative Group, which is Britain ’ s fifth largest food retailer and a growing presence in financial services. Peter Marks, the Co-op ’ s chief executive, jokes that a flash headquarters can be a sign of a bloated corporate ego. It should instead be seen as a symbol of the Co-op ’ s modernization, he says. The building ’ s green design will cut energy costs in half. And the staff scattered in a warren of draughty old offices nearby will soon be under one 21st-century roof.
在曼徹斯特市中心北面、維多利亞車站附近的那個卵形建築，是這個城市眾多的現代玻璃建築中最閃耀的一個。這個建築就是 Co-operative 集團的總部，Co-operative 是英國第五大食品零售商，在金融服務業它也是一股不斷增長的力量。Co-op 的董事長 Peter Marks 自嘲說這個拉風的總部顯示出公司是多麼的自大，但事實上他認為這個建築應該被視為 Co-op 公司現代化的標志。這個建築采用的綠色設計可以降低一半的能耗。以前散佈在附近老辦公室中一個個通透的小隔間裡的員工將會搬到 21 世紀的屋簷下。
The sort of self-confidence embodied in the Co-op ’ s new head office is felt also in the wider co-operative "movement" ( as its devotees refer to it ) . Tales of corporate greed have revived interest in co-ops. Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, has extolled the virtues of a "John Lewis economy", referring to a much-loved employee-owned retailer. Yet the history of the Co-op ’ s retailing arm in Britain shows that the member-owned business model has weaknesses as well as strengths.
公司新總部所體現出的那種自信在更加廣泛的聯營 " 運動 " 中也可以感受到。企業貪婪的故事有望在聯營企業重新上演。英國副首相 Nick Clegg 曾經贊揚過 "John Lewis 經濟模式 " 的優點，其中提及一個受人愛戴的員工所有制的零售商。但是 Co-op 的零售部門在英國的歷史證明會員制的商業模式有利也有弊。
The Co-op started in 1844 when a group of textile workers clubbed together to set up a grocers in Rochdale, a few miles from Manchester. The idea quickly spread. By the early 20th-century co-op stores accounted for a large slice of grocery sales. From the 1960s onwards, shareholder-owned rivals began to catch up. Twenty years ago the Co-op had a share of the grocery market similar to Tesco ’ s. Then Tesco took off and left it behind.
Co-op 是在 1844 年由一群紡織工人在洛奇代爾 ( 距曼徹斯特幾英裡 ) 聯合成立的一傢百貨店。這個概念迅速傳播。到 20 世紀初，聯營商店已經在百貨零售業占瞭很大一個份額。從 20 世紀 60 年代開始，股份制的競爭對手開始後來居上。20 年前 Co-op 在零售市場上的份額與 Tesco 的相當。然後 Tesco 發展迅速，逐漸將其甩在身後。
The problem was that what looked like a single entity was in fact a loose alliance of local co-ops, each with its own management. Fleet-footed rivals were better able to reap scale economies from centralized buying and marketing. They could raise capital quickly to build bigger stores. And a new breed of grocer, exemplified by Tesco ’ s Jack Cohen, understood that retailing is part showbiz. He hired well-known comedians to open his stores. The Co-op movement was slow-witted and dowdy by comparison. "It didn ’ t co-operate and it rarely moved," recalls Mr. Marks.
聯營模式的問題是它看上去是一個統一的實體的企業，實際上隻是一些本地合作社之間松散的聯盟——各自進行自己的管理。而其飛毛腿般的對手卻可以通過集中購買和銷售來收獲規模經濟帶來的利益。他們可以快速集資來建造更大的商場。由 Tesco 的 Jack Cohen 示范的一種新型零售店則悟出零售業其實是一個娛樂性行業。他雇傭著名的喜劇演員來開店。兩相對比使合作社運動看上去反應遲鈍、跟不上時代。" 以前聯營的商場之間沒有合作，並且很少變動 " Marks 回憶道。
A series of mergers has brought most co-op stores under the umbrella of the group. The acquisition of the Somerfield chain in 2009, plus a revamp of its own stores, has improved its market share. The rising cost of regulation means its banking business also needs scale if it is to survive. In July the Co-op agreed to buy 632 branches from Lloyds Banking Group, which has been forced by EU regulators to slim down. Its share of current accounts will triple to around 7% once the deal is completed next year.
Co-op 集團通過一系列的並購已經把大多數的聯營商場納入旗下。2009 年收購索寞菲爾德產業鏈，再加上自身商場的改進，提高瞭它的市場份額。日益增長的管理成本意味著公司的銀行業務要想生存就必須擴大規模。在今年 7 月 Co-op 同意收購勞埃德銀行集團的 632 傢分行，後者被歐盟監管機構強制 " 瘦身 "。一旦這個交易在明年完成，它的流動銀行賬戶將會增至原來的 3 倍達到 7% 的市場份額。
Banking scandals have served to emphasize the main strength of co-ops, which is public trust. There is less incentive for a member-owned business to price-gouge or mis-sell. Part of the appeal of the Victorian co-op stores was that they could be relied upon to sell unadulterated food. It also explains why the Co-op is strong in funeral services, where customers are stressed, under pressure to act quickly and unlikely to know what a fair price is. Mr. Markssees a similar opportunity for a trusted supplier of legal services dealing with personal-injury claims and divorce.
銀行業的醜聞強化瞭聯營企業的主要實力，後者擁有公眾的信任。一個會員制的企業進行價格欺詐和誤導銷售的動機更小。維多利亞聯營商場的部分魅力來自於他們在銷售純正食物方面贏得瞭信賴。這也解釋瞭為什麼 Co-op 很擅長殯葬服務業，因為在這個行業他們的顧客處於壓力中，這種壓力導致顧客要很快決斷因而也就不大可能知道一個什麼樣的價格才算合理。Marks 還看到瞭一個相似的機遇：為個人傷害索賠和離婚索賠提供可受信賴的法律服務。
The movement ’ s bigwigs, gathered this week in Manchester to celebrate the UN year of the co-operative, sense opportunities. Ed Mayo, the head of Co-operatives UK, a trade body, injects a note of caution. "We ’ ve won the battle to say that we are ethical. The challenges are innovation and service levels." Still, he thinks there are businesses where the member-owned model might be deployed: rail franchises, for instance. That would have a pleasing Victorian ring to it. Shareholders did not achieve great returns from the 19th-century railway mania. The main beneficiaries of the boom were the railway ’ s customers.
這場運動的頭頭腦腦們於本周在曼徹斯特相聚來慶祝 co-operative 聯合的一周年，並嗅探新的機會。Co-operatives UK ( 一個貿易機構 ) 的老大 Ed Mayo 提出瞭一個警告。" 我們已經贏得瞭道德制高點，接下來的挑戰是如何創新和提高服務水平 " 他認為還有其他或許適合聯營模式開展的業務，比如鐵路專營權。股民沒有從 19 世紀的鐵路熱中獲得很大的回報。鐵路潮主要的受益者是鐵路客戶。
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