The Co-op has started the new year on the front foot by announcing plans to open 100 new food stores in 2019.
The supermarket chain said the initiative, which will be backed by major makeovers for a further 200 stores, would build on its convenience strategy and help it 'get closer to members and customers'.
The combined £200m investment is set to create 1,500 new jobs, with around one third of the new stores planned for London and the south east. That follows the Co-op's announcement last month that it had agreed terms for a new 661,000 sq ft distribution depot near the A1 in Bedfordshire, which is expected to open in 2022.
Backing a strategy to focus on city centre locations, transport hubs and other areas with large concentrations of people, the stores have a focus on fresh, healthy foods, food-to-go, award-winning wines, meal ideas and other essentials essentials. It is the fourth consecutive year the group will have opened 100 new stores or more.
Stuart Hookins, the Co-op’s director of portfolio and development, said:“Shifts in consumer shopping trends have seen ease, speed and convenience continuing to rise in importance for time-pressed shoppers. The right location and range tailored to fulfil the shopping needs of a community is a cornerstone of our approach, and there has been an evolution in how we choose new locations and innovate our offer.
'This year will be the fourth consecutive year of opening around 100 new stores, and investing in a core convenience estate which has seen over four years of consecutive like-for-like sales growth. Connecting communities and bringing people together is at the heart of theCo-op. Our strategy is to offer the products members and customers want, need and care about, closer to where they live and work. With a focus on looking for new sites which support our ambition to operate at the heart of local life, and deliver our value and values which make a difference in our communities.”
