Andrew Clarke, the new CEO of Calgary Co-op, now leads a member-owned retailer with close to 100 locations, nearly half a million members and about nine banners across food, drink, pharmacy and gas. After several years of acquisitions, he says it's payback time for members, and that means getting back to operational basics and a value-added retail focus.
Andrew Clarke brings 30 years of retail experience. He started out delivering eggs for his family's business near Cheddar, England, then worked as a merchandiser at Marks & Spencer and later ran the apparel business at Kmart for Sears Holdings. He joined Calgary Co-op in March 2026 as a strategy consultant to the board before taking the top job, as the cooperative heads into its 70th year.
The big strategic question is how to coordinate two food businesses, two drink businesses, four pharmacy and healthcare businesses and a gas operation that have largely run independently, and turn them into one ecosystem that delivers value members can actually feel.
Andrew explains why the co-op model is a business model rather than a loyalty programme. He describes how bonus cash and fuel discounts connect the gas pump to the grocery basket, and he says members have told him Calgary Co-op must communicate value better without becoming a discount retailer.
He also discusses private brands Cal & Gary's and Founders & Farmers, the Care Pharmacy and Beacon pharmacy businesses, and what it has been like adapting to Canadian corporate culture after a dozen years in the U.S.
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