The Beautiful Building We Are Located In

Alexander Street was the site of the Clydebank Co-operative Society's first purpose-built shop. A loan of £2,000 from the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society helped towards the total cost of £3,500, with the rest of the money coming from the membership. The brand new building, consisting of two shops and fifteen houses, opened on 26 May 1887. One of the new shops was originally devoted to drapery and hardware, and the other was a butcher's shop.
Further expansion took place over the years. A boot and shoe shop was opened in 1893, with a repair shop at the back. The rest of the street frontage was converted into shops in 1903. Further along Alexander Street, a large drapery warehouse was opened in 1917 and was extended by the addition of a new boot department and a mantle salon in 1940.
On 31 March 1917, the Clydebank Co-operative Society opened a new Central Drapery and Furnishings warehouse in Chalmers Street. Designed in Renaissance style by the Glasgow architects, Stewart & Patterson, the four-storey red sandstone building comprised a central block and west wing, with a total frontage of 256 feet. When built, it was the largest business premises in Clydebank and towered above all other shops in the Burgh. An east wing was added later.
By 1948 the Clydebank Co-op had come a long way from modest beginnings in 1881. It was the largest retailer in Clydebank, and had a strong presence in north-west Glasgow. The process of expansion had been helped by amalgamations with several neighbouring societies.
In addition to numerous retail branches, the CCS owned a boot making factory, a meat preparation factory with a modern refrigeration plant, and a creamery. The Society had also diversified into activities such as funeral undertaking and car hiring, and employed tradesman such as painters, plumbers and electricians.