Objekt 2136
From co-operative to retailing giant
Description
In the second half of the 19th century, the poverty of the factory workforce
and high food prices led to the founding of co-operative societies. Several of
these merged in 1890 into the Verband Schweizerischer Konsumvereine VSK,
based in Basel. In 1914, the VSK had the brand name ‘Co-op’ registered and
acquired the Bell butchery & slaughterhouse. The first self-service shops
emerged after the Second World War. In 1969, the VSK became Coop Schweiz,
still with headquarters in Basel. In 2001, the company was restructured and
became today’s large enterprise with more than 86,000 employees.
Object description
Cocoa tin with the VSK logo and brand name CO.OP
Switzerland, after 1914
tinplate
on loan from the Zentralarchiv Coop Genossenschaft, Basel
Inv. 2018.1026.