Coopérative U Explained
| Coopérative U |
| Type: | Private |
| Location City: | Rungis |
| Location Country: | France |
| Industry: | Retailing |
| Products: | Food, bazaar, textiles, cultural products, etc. |
| Revenue: | $19.692 billion (2009) |
| Subsid: | Super U, Marché U, Super U, Utile |
| Homepage: | https://www.magasins-u.com/ |
Coopérative U (Système U before 2024) is a French symbol group retailers cooperative of independent hypermarkets and supermarkets, headquartered in the Parc Tertiaire SILIC in Rungis, France.
It owns the trademarks Hyper U, Super U, U Express and Utile, which are used by its members.
In 2024, Coopérative U had 1,726 stores in 11 countries.
History
It is directly descended from the Pain Quotidien ('daily bread') cooperative which was founded in western France in 1894.[1] In 1920, the association brought together 300 affiliated grocers. On May 16, 2024, the group was renamed “Coopérative U”.[2]
Locations
By 2024, the group had 1,726 stores [3] in 11 countries.[4]
Europe
Africa
The sub-brands
There are four brands found within Système U:
- The largest (in size terms) is the hypermarket Hyper U, which accounts for 15.89% of the group. There are 71 Hyper U stores, which account for a total of 239,293 square metres of retail space (at an average of 4,985 square metres per store). The average spend per trip is €43.60.[5] These are generally found outside larger towns, but normally as stand-alone structures (rather than as part of a shopping centre)
- The next brand down (in terms of size) is Super U which accounts for 79.58% of the group. There are 773 Super U stores, which account for a total of 1,355,004 square metres of retail space (at an average of 2,016 square metres per store). The average spend per trip is €33.30. These are typical supermarkets, and are found either in the centre or on the outskirts of smaller towns. Again they exist as standalone structures.
- Within city centres (and in rural areas), there are smaller stores known as U Express, which account for 4.53% of the group. There are 294 U Express stores, which account for a total of 104,468 square metres of retail space (at an average of 730 square metres per store). The average spend per trip is €17.00.
- Utile are the smallest brand stores in Système U with 410 locations across France. They are usually run as independent convenience stores and so do not accept Système U clubcards. They are found mainly in small towns, village centers and at rest stations (except on dual carriageways and motorways) in rural parts of France.
References
- Book: Jean-Louis Roveyaz, Bruno de Laage, Patrick Mérienne. L'Entreprise coopérative, une alternative moderne. L'Harmattan. 2008. 68. 978-2-296-06602-1.
- Web site: Système U change de nom et devient «Coopérative U» . lefigaro.fr . May 16, 2024.
- Web site: Résultats annuels 2022 . Magasins U . March 27, 2023.
- Web site: Un 1er Hyper U au Maroc. lineaires.com . May 16, 2024. May 16, 2024. .
- Coopérative U website
External links
