The Grocers' Co-operative 'Społem' is a
company with a 55-year tradition. The base of our company
comprised the following co-operatives:
The Grocers' Co-operative 'Przyszłość' founded by a group
of teachers in 1946, and the Grocers' Co-operative 'Jedność'
founded by a group of workers at the chemical works in Dwory
by Oświęcim. On the 5th of February 1949 these companies
have merged.
On the 15th of November 1949 we took the name 'Spółdzielnia
Spożywców w Oświęcimiu'
From the 15th of February 1948, to the 31st December 1949,
the Workers' co-operative 'Rzeźnik' operated in Oświęcim.
It was afterwards incorporated into 'Społem'.
Therefore, we see the year 1949 as the year, in which our
company was born. At that point, our company already operated
10 retail stores, a butcher shop, 2 bakeries, a bar, a buffet
and 2 warehouses.
The following years span a multitude of changes and see
the continued expansion of the Company. By the end of 1960,
we already operated 44 stores, 32 out of them with groceries,
6 other small retail points, 2 bakeries, 4 restaurants,
5 bars, a coffee-house, a meat processing facility and a
pig fattening house. We had 3503 members, who had at their
disposal 2 household appliance lending shops, operated by
us, a tailoring advice shop, and a mangle.
The opening of the mechanical bakery in 1956, the capacity
of which, for that time, made it an innovative investment,
was an undeniable success. The next chapter is the merger
with the Grocers' Co-operative in Kęty. At that time the
company had 83 retail stores, 24 small stores, 15 bars and
buffets, 6 bakeries, 2 meat processing plants, a soft drinks
plant, and a beer bottling plant.
This cooperation was continued until June 1976, when it
was decided at a meeting of the Społem delegates that our
co-operative will be merged with the voivodship co-operative
with the centre in Kraków, thus becoming a local branch.
In 1974 a merger with the co-operative in Brzeszcze took
place, lasting one year.
A very important achievement was the founding in 1969 of
the 'Tęcza' market in the centre of Oświęcim, which after
the reforms of 1976 was moved to the WPHW [polish - Voivodschaft
interior retail company] .
The following changes are linked to the administrative
reforms in Poland. As of July 1975 our co-operative became
subordinate to the central in Bielsko-Biała. At that time
also, we took the buildings of the co-operative of Chrzanów,
located in Chełmek, under our wings.
The next year, in July 1976, due to retail reforms in our
country, we overtook some new bars, retail stores and bakeries
from other institutions, and handed the industrial goods
stores over to WPHW. These changes weren't beneficial for
our company, but didn't slow its evolution down.
In 1972 the co-operative bought, from the Chemical Works
in Oświęcim the building at Łukasiewicza 4, where the management
is located. Parts of the building are rented to third parties.
In 1975 the co-operative opened its store 59, with an area
of 576 sq. m., commonly called 'Little Berlin'.
In 1977 the co-operative built two further stores, totalling
over 100 sq. m. in area.
n 1979 a 100 sq. m. bar was opened, and in 1980 further
stores in Zasole, totalling 200 sq. m.
In the years 1970-1977 our co-operative signed a deal with
the 'Budowlanka' construction co-operative on crediting
the construction of further stores in the Błonie settlement:
store 58, 280 sq. m., store 11, 169 sq. m., a bar, 75 sq.
m., and three stores in Zasole, totalling 450 sq. m.
All dues were paid back in 1990.
The years 1982 to 1985 saw the democratisation of co-operative
life. A new law is passed. Thus, on the 9th October, 1982,
our co-operative becomes a separate, autonomous company,
with its own legal capacity. The name taken was 'Społem'
PSS in Oświęcim.
After another reform in November 1982, the co-operative
had to give up a wholesale house in favour of a state monopolistic
enterprise.
In December 1984 our company opened a further store at
Nideckiego street, with an area of 1500 sq. m., and the
'Melba' store with 99 sq. m. Thanks to the deal with Budowlanka,
in 1985 a 776 sq. m. store was opened in Zasole.
The best times for our cooperative were the years 1976
through 1999. At that time, the co-operative prospered in
two cities, Oświęcim and Chełmek, with 79 stores, 6 restaurants,
2 coffee houses, 13 bars, 2 milk bars, 18 buffets and cafeterias
at workplaces, 1 bakery, 2 confectioneries, a pastry processing
plant, a non-alcoholic drink plant, and a beer bottling
plant, a greengrocer's shop, 10 warehouses, 2 ladies stores,
1 men's store, a electric shop, a refrigeration shop, and
a carpentry workshop. We've had 1500 employees, with 7000
members of the co-operative.
The year 1989, by many considered a breakthrough, brought
much change, because we had to operate on the market under
new rules. We saw new tasks ahead. In the years 1989-1990
we've handed about 60% of its branches, located in private,
state and railway buildings over to the employees. We kept
own stores, the locations owned by the housing co-operative,
as well as 2 stores and 2 bakeries of the city council.
Today, our cooperative has 394 members, including one school
co-operative. This company is more than 55 years of tradition.
With the dawn of the free market and competition, the shopping
habits of our customers have changed.
'Społem' had to keep up with the competition, using the
know-how of the Swedish Kooperative Forbundet, constructing
a chain of modern Lux stores.
The Lux stores are self-service food retail points, supplying
also other products used daily. They are characterised by
a specific interior design, choice of products and registered
logo. Our stores are constructed by way of modernisation
of current places owned by the co-operative. At this point,
Społem possesses 3 Lux stores, 4 mini-lux stores, and 12
traditional stores. Apart from 19 stores of varied size
we also possess 2 bakeries and a confectionery, which offer
great quality pastry products, over 200 in the range, baked
in traditional ways with only natural ingredients used.
