The Hastings Co-op Family

With a long and proud history that grew from the dairy industry, Hastings Co-op is a thriving community-owned co-operative of 19 businesses on the NSW Mid North Coast. The jewel in their crown is the family of four IGA supermarkets at Wauchope, Timbertown, Sovereign Place and Port Macquarie, an integral part of their local community.

Hastings Co-op is one of the longest serving independent Co-ops in Australia. This powerhouse cooperative serves as a testament to the group of local dairy farmers who, in 1916, saw benefit in joining forces. Their businesses employ more than 400 locals and include fuel, supermarkets, liquor stores, hardware and rural supplies, condiment manufacturing and car hire.

For those unfamiliar with the cooperative model, Co-ops are owned by the community comprising both shareholder and loyalty club members. The more members spend, the more money they receive in return in the form of discounts.

Giving back to the community is their goal. Hastings Co-op has many long-term employees, with some unfortunately having moved out of retail, a symptom of COVID-19. During COVID-19 retail employees were often treated poorly by the general public and finding staff now remains a significant challenge, with deli managers particularly difficult to acquire.

Hastings Co-op, however, remains focused on several internal enrichments, including amping up their focus on training. This has culminated in the Co-op employing a full-time training officer to deliver their internal programs.

As independent retailers the community is central to their business. For many locals, working at the local independent retailer was their first job while still in school. Hastings proudly notes they are now employing the children of those school children who worked in the business many years ago.

This multi-generational dimension of the business is an incredible reflection of the culture that underpins our independent sector. This same culture has applied to their relationship with local suppliers with relationships spanning decades.

The challenges ahead include the continuous need to keep up with competitors; how can they do things differently? The Co-op recognises they need to be dynamic, not static, with many other independent stores feeling the same pressures. A key priority is to move the stores from being a ‘top up’ shop to a ‘full trolley’ shop. Challenges around theft are increasing, with a 1.5% loss and growing.

In terms of opportunities, Hastings Co-op is positive and recognises significant scope to modernise the business. Unlike some competitors, the Co-op can move fast in terms of varieties of products or the introduction of new technologies. Always keen observers of overseas supermarket activities and discovery, they connect international learnings with a local flavour, continually adapting progressive ideas for the local community, and benchmarking to the IBIS World Supermarket Research Report.

MGA wishes the Hastings Co-op all the best in the future and looks forward to remaining connected with all members as we collectively navigate the challenges and opportunities over the next decade and beyond.

Vale Allan Gordon

The outpouring of grief since Allan Gordon’s passing is testament to his contribution not only to Hastings Co-op, but to the wider Hastings community.

Allan was many things to many people, but the recurring reference to being “a true gentleman” best describes the man known as the Chief Executive Officer of the Hastings Co-op for the past 10 years.

Leading Hastings Co-op was much more than a job to Allan. He cared deeply for the business, employees, and the Hastings community.

Many people will remember Allan’s professional acumen and community focus. Described as “a decent human being”, “upstanding community leader”, “one of the good guys” and “a fine, principled person” are the true measures of a life well lived.

Allan was deeply passionate about his family, and he was the first to coin the term ‘Hastings Co-op family’, which is a legacy employees proudly uphold.

Allan, will always be remembered for making a profound contribution to the Co-op, its employees, and the community it serves.