Today, here is a monument of the history of Alsace, founded 120 years ago, in 1902 in Strasbourg under the name of Konsumverein für Strassburg und Umgegend. The word s’Konsüm remained in the vocabulary of Alsatians for a very long time, it will be replaced by COOPé, yes, you pronounce Pé, in Alsace we pronounce everything. Just as everything could be learned at the COOP, thanks to the Ratsch.
Remember: the smell of chicory when you enter, the little piece of Würscht given to the children, the COOP stamps that should not be lost. In the wake of the cooperative movement, 120 years ago, 125 metalworkers from Strasbourg met for the first Constituent General Assembly of the Cooperative of Strasbourg and Surroundings. The objective, better prices for all, with better distribution: his model placed the consumer and the producer in a cooperative model. Ah jo, we could become a member.
Also in 1902, the first branch opened its doors at 15, rue des Dentelles, in the Petite France sector in Strasbourg. 1912, installation at the Port du Rhin. In 1932, 30 years after its creation, the Coopé de Strasbourg already had 136 branches in the Bas-Rhin department.
After the period of the Second World War, the Coopé de Strasbourg became that of the entire Bas-Rhin, with 365 stores in the department. COOPs are part of the landscape of many villages.
In 1961, when self-service appeared, Coopé opened the first Coop supermarket in France in La Meinau. The Cooperatives of Colmar and Mulhouse merge with Bas-Rhin, the Union of Cooperators of Alsace is born. The 1970s were the explosion of consumption. Do you remember the roundabout supermarkets? And the maxis, in the 80s? The butchery and charcuterie departments as far as the eye can see.
However, the cooperative did not survive the 21st century and in particular the crisis of 2008, with the smoky business of certain people, plunging the company into endless social plans until the filing for bankruptcy in 2015. Its most important stores have were sold to E. Leclerc while the convenience stores were sold to Carrefour. it was worth talking about this beautiful Alsatian idea, an institution that will have lasted 113 years, a great effort, despite everything, it was s’Konsüm, it was the COOP.