ABC Radio: BCCM and The Barossa Co-op on the need for more co-op supermarkets

07 April 2025

In a recent interview on ABC SA Afternoons, BCCM CEO Melina Morrison and Barossa Co-op CEO Cathy Main highlighted the role co-operative supermarkets can play in boosting regional economies and offering consumers better choices. The conversation followed the ACCC’s findings on supermarket competition, with both leaders advocating for more member-owned retail models like The Barossa Co-op, which reinvests profits back into its community.

Listen from 1:25:25.

Read the transcript

Jo Laverty, ABC SA Afternoons

A couple of weeks ago, the ACCC released its report into supermarkets saying that consumers, especially consumers in regional areas, need better outcomes where the major supermarkets are dominant. Enter co-operative supermarkets. What are they and how can they help? Melina Morrison is the CEO of the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals.

What exactly is a co-operative supermarket, Melina?

Melina Morrison, CEO BCCM

Well, you’ve got a fantastic example in South Australia. If you’ve visited Nuriootpa, the beautiful town in the Barossa Valley, you’ve got the Barossa Co-op.

So it looks like another supermarket, only better. More choice, more products, greater quality, greater access to local suppliers. But the important difference is it’s owned by members.

And in the case of The Barossa Co-operative, the members are the consumers, the locals who live in the area and the visitors who come to town to shop their specialty products.

Jo Laverty, ABC SA Afternoons

We are just about to speak to the CEO of Barossa Co-op. How many co-ops are there around South Australia and the rest of the country?

Melina Morrison, CEO BCCM

Well, across Australia, there are 2,000 co-operatives and mutuals. They’re all a type of member owned businesses. They’re owned by consumers or in some cases they can be small businesses that are the owners, like farmer co-operatives that own the supply chain. There are around 100 of those in South Australia.

A very important year is the International Year of Cooperatives. And we’re holding our national Summit in Adelaide in October. So all of those wonderful South Australian co-operatives and mutuals will be there.

They’re a really important way we do business. In fact, eight in 10 Australians are members of at least one co-operative or mutually owned organisation.

And in South Australia you can think of organisations like the RAA that have seven of 10 South Australians in membership.

Jo Laverty, ABC SA Afternoons

We’re actually going to be speaking to the RAA a little later.

Cathy Main is the CEO of The Barossa Co-op. Sounds like you are a poster child for the co-op, Cathy. What are you doing at yours that makes it so special?

Cathy Main, CEO The Barossa Co-op

That’s a fabulous question and thank you very much for asking.

I think Melina’s already indicated, members are at the heart of everything that we do. And certainly what sets us apart is that our 21,000 members here in the Barossa community own us. And I think secondly, you know, the profits that we make are returned back to members and the community by way of discounts, promotions, events, sponsorships, donations and potentially rebates, dividends.

I think the other really important thing is we employ over 320 team members with about 90 per cent living locally so I think ultimately our members get to influence you know their economic and lifestyle future. They have a say in what products and services they want on the ground.

Jo Laverty, ABC SA Afternoons

And is it hard to compete with the big main players in the supermarket game?

Cathy Main, CEO The Barossa Co-op

Not at all. I think we’re blessed. We support over 40 local suppliers in the Barossa Valley and another 50-odd South Australian suppliers and we do also have our product supplied by Brave Logistics which is owned by Roger Drakes Supermarkets and you know we, we’re able to leverage the amazing promotional programs
that you know the Drake’s team also provide.

Jo Laverty, ABC SA Afternoons

So that’s nice. It’s good that you’ve got some of the other main players helping you putting the co-op into co-operatives. Thank you very much. Cathy Main is the CEO of Barossa Co-op, Melina Morrison the CEO of Business Council and Co-operatives and Mutual is before her.