The Co-op is set to bag 10 new food stores and provide extensions or major upgrades for a further 11 sites as part of a more than £15m store investment programme across the Yorkshire region during 2018.
The community retailer expects to recruit around 250 new colleagues in the county – people with a passion for community, customer service and food. Planned new stores include sites in: York; Harrogate and Northowram, overhauls for petrol filling stations in Ingleton and Mytholmroyd and, with extensions or improvements scheduled for existing stores including those in: Thirsk; Helmsley and Sheffield.
The stores all bring a funding boost to local communities through the Co-op’s membership scheme which sees members receive a 5% reward when buying own brand products and services, and the Co-op donating a further 1% to local good causes.
Since the Membership scheme launched in September 2016, around £2M has been shared with 900 good causes in the Yorkshire area. Community groups and causes currently benefitting include: Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity, Doncaster Housing for Young People; Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library; Wakefield Riding for Disabled; Ryedale Foodbank and, Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team.
The stores offer a range of fresh, healthy foods, meal ideas, award winning wines and, essentials. With the community retailer last month unveiling a £50M price investment programme to cut the cost of everyday essentials including fruit, vegetables, bread, fresh meat and ready meals, as well as household brand names.
John McNeill (pictured), the Co-op’s divisional managing director, said, “The Co-op is positively responding to the changes occurring within this dynamic sector. Our Food business is going from strength to strength in what is clearly a challenging retail market. We have the ambition for our stores to be at the heart of local life, bringing communities together and offering our Members and customers great quality products when and where they need them.
'We’re delighted to be making such a significant investment in the region again in 2018, investing in our people, stores, products, prices and communities with over 20 new or improved stores this year.
“Such sustained investment is indicative of our long and proud history in Yorkshire – we are passionate about serving the many diverse communities across the county and want to give shoppers the opportunity to buy what they want, when and where they want it, in great looking stores that also give back to the communities that they serve.
“The Co-op is moving forward with real purpose and momentum, we have around 500,000 active members in the region, members who not only receive a 5% reward for themselves when they buy our products, but – with the Co-op donating a further 1% to good causes – they have also helped to raise £2M so far for hundreds of community groups in the region who make a difference to local life.”
The Co-op’s expansion in Yorkshire forms part of the community retailer’s UK-wide plans to open around 100 new stores in 2018. Co-op Members can receive £500 if they successfully suggest a site for a new Co-op food store.
The community retailer – which last year won the Retailer of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards – operated around 250 food stores in Yorkshire and piloted its successful local sourcing programme in the region in late 2015, a programme which last month completed its UK-wide roll-out.