Starting off as a small shop operating out of a loading bay to a thriving worker co-op that owns its own the entire building, has around 50 dedicated members and is a shining example of what worker cooperatives can accomplish.
In this episode of Punchcard, Corrina and I talk about how Unicorn has become such a success and how they plan to develop further.
👉 Support Punchcard on Open Collective
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Unicorn was Corrina’s introduction to worker co-ops, and at first she didn’t fully grasp what being a worker-owner would change. It took leaving Unicorn to understand what made it special.
That understanding has grown, and is accompanied by an appreciation for the decades of work and sacrifice made by earlier members, especially the founders. Because of the foundations they laid, Corrina now benefits from a workplace that offers a level of control and security beyond what she has experienced before.
Growing Without Growth
In 2015, Unicorn seriously explored opening a second store. Ultimately, members decided against it, concerned about the strain it would place on the co-op. Instead, they focused on strengthening the original shop, while continuing to provide support to the wider movement and projects externally.
In our interview Corrina talks through how Unicorn is growing their impact without simply getting bigger. From redeveloping its site, contributing a percentage of its wage bill to a solidarity fund for projects with shared values, developing a comprehensive ‘Grow-A-Grocery’ guide for budding new co-operators based on their experience, and sharing resources with groups like Kindling Farm.
The Cost of Playing It Safe
It’s a shame that Unicorn decided not to open a second store, and it seems to reflect a wider pattern in the co-op sector (particularly visible with housing co-ops), where growing success increases the capacity for risk, but the appetite for it shrinks.
While supporting projects externally is valuable and effective, this risk-aversion is likely limiting how quickly the worker co-op sector grows, and the scale of impact co-ops could have if they were bolder.
❤️ Support Punchcard
Corrina was lucky to find a job at Unicorn Grocery, but there are fewer than 400 worker co-ops in the UK, and far too few places where workers have real control over their work.
Punchcard exists to help change that. By sharing the stories, experiences, and hard-won lessons of worker co-ops across different industries, the show helps make democratic workplaces visible, imaginable, and achievable.
Punchcard is at a crucial stage. We’re looking for just 50 listeners to contribute £5/month to keep documenting, sharing, and growing the collective knowledge of the worker co-op movement.
If you want Punchcard to keep amplifying voices like Corrina’s, and helping more workers find their way into co-ops, please consider supporting the show.