Category:Cooperative Wholesale Society (CWS)

The Cooperative Wholesale Society (CWS) (originally the North of England Co-operative Wholesale Industrial and Provident Society Limited, nowadays simply known as "the Co-op") was set up in 1863, making use of the new 1862 Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, becoming the second major cooperative society after the Rochdale Pioneers Society (1844).

The CWS Loan and Deposit Department was founded in 1872, and later became the Co-operative Bank, and the CWS went on to have major interests in trade, manufacturing, shipping and overseas businesses, and the CWS became the current Cooperative Society.

The "Co-op"'s first foray into manufacturing was the Crumpsall Works biscuit and cake factory in Manchester.