OurCoop CEO pay triples to £2.2m as profits decline
The Story
OurCoop, an independent mutual operating about 500 food stores in England, more than tripled its chief executive’s total pay to £2.2m despite falling sales and profits. The chain did not approve an annual profit-share payment to members this year, though they received shopping discounts.
Key Facts
- CEO Deborah Robinson’s total pay rose to £2.16m, including an 11.5% basic pay increase, a £1.1m “incentive” payment, and a £400,000 one-off discretionary payment.
- Finance, technology and property officer Selina Butterfield-Mashoofi’s pay increased more than 3.5 times to £1.13m, including a £500,000 incentive and a £212,015 one-off payment; her basic salary rose from £257,606 to £400,000.
- OurCoop was formed by merging Central Co-op, Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society, and Midcounties Co-operative in 2025-2026.
- Group sales fell 4.4% to £844.6m, trading profit nearly halved to £4.3m, and net debt rose to £36m in the year to 24 January.
- The OurCoop report stated the previous remuneration policy “came under significant challenge” due to risk of losing senior talent ahead of mergers; incentive arrangements became “unmeasurable and obsolete.”
- A spokesperson said the remuneration report was approved by members on 20 May 2026, with 85% voting in favour.
- An additional £8.5m was spent to increase pay for staff in 2026, offering competitive rates above the “national living wage” plus benefits.
- Criticism came from a member who questioned how bonuses could be justified during deteriorating financial performance, and from a former senior staff member on LinkedIn who questioned the payments given profit decline and redundancies.
- For comparison, the nationwide Co-op Group’s former boss Shirine Khoury-Haq was paid £1.9m last year – less than Robinson.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Deborah Robinson – chief executive of OurCoop
- Selina Butterfield-Mashoofi – finance, technology and property officer of OurCoop
- Shirine Khoury-Haq – former boss of the Co-op Group (mentioned for comparison)
Sources: The Guardian
