“Społem” Warszawska Spółdzielnia Spożywców Śródmieście (the Warsaw City Centre Consumer Cooperative) is one of the three oldest Consumer Cooperatives. Its beginning dates back to 1896 when on the premises of its current business activity, three retail points were opened, i.e. in Elektoralna street, Podwale street and Nowy Świat street. In the 30s of the twentieth century, next ones were opened in Dzika street, Hoża street and Mokotowska street. After restructuring of the Polish retail in 1976, the Cooperative in the city centre was the monopolist in sales of food products and everyday consumer goods. In 1983 after issuing the new law on cooperative societies, the Warsaw City Centre Consumer Cooperative was set up, having 368 shops, 237 catering facilities and 3 cooperative department stores. The new period of activity was in the transition times after 1989. The reality turned out to be completely different than expectations. There was regress in the activity and the Cooperative ownership, which was caused a restrictive special act issued on the 20th January 1990. The unfavourable period lasted until 1998.
Today „Społem” Warsaw City Centre Consumer Cooperative is a company with deeply rooted traditions of the Polish retail, with a modern approach.
The groups of 20 shops selling food products and chemicals include Lux, Delikatesy, Sezam and Cooperative Department Store Hala Mirowska. All of them are modernised. Their interior design and their PR have been improved, as well as the shopping and working conditions.
Hala Mirowska was built in the years 1899-1901 together with the neighbouring Hala Gwardii, which were market halls. Hala Mirowska was damaged during the Second World War and reconstructed in the 60s of the twentieth century. In 1986 with the decision of the Regional Monuments Conservators was entered in the Register of Historical Monuments. Since 1974 the Hall has been used by City Centre Cooperative, which in 1997 bought out from the city the historical building and leased the plots which are a part under the market hall. Since that time the Cooperative has been increasing the expenditures needed for the proper functioning of the facility. In co-operation with the Management of Public Plots trade halls were erected at the trade market place.
In 2008 the Cooperative Management took the decision to commence works to prepare for revitalization of the building siding. The revitalization works, which were partly financed by the Warsaw City and the Warsaw Conservator of Monuments were started in 2010. In March 2014 inside Hala Mirowska there were construction-modernisation works related to construction of moving stairs from the ground level to the mezzanine.
On the 10th of August 2014, after 45 years of activity, the Sezam Cooperative Department Store was closed. It was present in the capital city for many generations. The store was for almost half a century one of the most popular places for shopping, social meetings , and it was also used as a movie set when making feature films and documentaries. After Sezam was closed, its retail activity and some employees were transferred to Miasteczko Wilanów, to a store in the building Alto Wilanów in Rzeczpospolita 14 street. The design of a new Sezam department store, which was opened on the 6th of June 2018, was made by the design office Juvenes owned by BBI Development S.A., which under the agreement with „Społem” WSS Śródmieście was also responsible for construction of the facility. Currently, it is a 10-storey glass building with a parking space and retail shops in the underground, a gallery of shops on the ground level and office space on higher levels of total space nearly 17 thousand square meters. The building shape resembles the “S” letter – like Sezam. The New Sezam is next to the subway lines crossing, so next to the most modern communication intersection in Warsaw. Additionally, one of the subway station exits is in the building on the -1 level and it leads to the shopping area.
The Cooperative has two members of the Board: Anna Tylkowska, CEO and Karolina Strząska, Board Member for Finances, supported by Supervisory Board with the President Cecylia Przedpełska. It is a priority for the Cooperative to provide professional customer service, offer high quality goods, introduce new products, run marketing campaigns in own projects and with other trade partners.
In 2005 the Project of Ecological Społem was introduced in selected shops, which was initiated by the National Revision Union of Społem Consumer Cooperatives with a significant participation of WSS Śródmieście. Under this project, apart from sales of certified ecological products, pro-ecological events are organized, such as: collection of used batteries, recycling of packages, use of energy-saving devices to equip the shops, multiple-use bags.
Since 2013 the Co-operative has run a Loyalty Program „Społem Means Together” offering to Customers certain advantages in exchange for shopping. At the end of August 2018, over 11 thousand Customers joined the Program.
The Śródmieście Cooperative is a member of the National Revision Union of Społem Consumer Cooperative. It is a shareholder and an active member of the Masovian Retail Agency “Społem”, the company established to execute shared contracts with customers. It is a member of the Business Centre Club, Polish Chamber of Commerce and the “Nowy Świat” Foundation.
WSS Śródmieście since 1962 has been issuing a monthly magazine „Społemowiec Warszawski”, which is co-financed by the Consumer Cooperative from Warsaw and nearby locations. Every month, it presents information about the Cooperative, the Cooperatives Union, the Masovian Retail Agency and the current market situation. As a response to the request of Cooperative, various kinds of events are reported regularly, such as opening of new and modernised shops, important actions and marketing promotions, conferences and trainings, fairs and exhibitions, local authority activity.
There has been a Remembrance Room at the head office of Cooperative since 17th July 1985, which is a museum of the Warsaw consumer cooperatives history. It was initiated by a group of cooperative activists, members of the Historical Commission chaired by Michał Majewski and Ryszard Siwak. The exhibits collected there include, among others: old documents, photos, books, cooperative magazines, chronicles, albums, emblems, diplomas, rewards, medals, posters, portraits of distinguished activists, and cups, banners, pennants handed over from one workers team to another. The exhibits come from the cooperatives in Warsaw: Śródmieście, Praga Południe, Praga Północ, Mokotów (current SS Mokpol), Wola, Żoliborz and Powszechnych Spółdzielni Spożywców in Grodzisk Maz., Legionowo, Otwock, Piaseczno, Pruszków and Wołomin. They are regularly complemented and displayed. It is worth mentioning that since 1962 there have been also yearbooks of Społemowiec Warszawski stored, the only monthly magazine in Poland on cooperatives that is issued the Śródmieście Cooperative. The collections are presented in two exhibitions. The first one is a permanent exhibition presenting all facts from the Warsaw consumer cooperative history: the times partitions and the first world war, the mid-war times, occupation and the second world war, the times of Polish People’s Republic and modern times. The second exhibition contains theme parts, such as: education on cooperatives, students cooperative, cooperative members and boards, centres, Practical Lady and various kinds of mementos. The exhibits are changed on important events at particular Cooperatives, and especially on anniversaries.
„Społem” WSS Śródmieście is an organization following the idea of business social responsibility. The idea of cooperative dates back to the 19th century and it assumes functioning of a company based on relations with various interested groups. The cooperatives follow the values of self-help, responsibility, democracy, equality, justice and solidarity. WSS as the employer fulfils its duties to workers. Transparent rules are applied also to trade partners and relations with Customers involving honesty and transparency.
For many years the Cooperative has been involved actively in relations with non-government organizations. Mostly these are Foundations putting their money boxes in shops, or those which support their charges with food collected volunteers from customers. The Cooperative collects caps in the shops and among employees, which are handed over for recycling to get funds for wheelchairs, prosthesis. Another group are kindergartens and schools. In the last years they were involved in the campaign “Proper food helps to learn and play”, which was to attract attention to nutrition for children in kindergartens and schools. It wasn’t the only contact with the group. There are other events organized for them: arts competitions on Christmas, Easter and other festive days, Mother’s Day, Earth’s Day. The cooperative takes special care of students having different disabilities and organizes for them actions and competitions. For two years at one of the schools, i.e. the Special Schools no. 105 located in Długa 9 street there has been Students Cooperative “Pychotka” established by WSS based on rules identical for adults cooperatives. The cooperative has worked for many years with the Special Centre for Education and Raising of Visually Impaired Children no. 8 under the name of doctor Zofia Galewska located in Koźmińskiej 7, where are practical household activities held. The cooperative together with its contractors helps to organize events at schools, kindergartens, non-profit organizations, education centres, sport and cultures organizations by providing product, financial or media support using for this purpose the magazine issued by WSS “Społemowiec Warszawski”.
