£160m for new Co-op stores and refits
UK: The Co-op is to invest £160m in 100 new food stores and major makeovers of 150 existing outlets across the UK in 2018.
More than 20 new stores are set to open in London, and up to 18 stores are planned for Scotland including: stores in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Forres (Highlands) and Kilmacolm (Renfewshire).
Rhayader (Powys) and Bryncoch (Neath) will be the first of ten new stores which are set to open in Wales. Other new stores are lined up for Blackpool, Bristol, Chesterfield, Crewe, Leicester, Manchester, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton and York among other towns and cities.
Last month the Co-op confirmed it had reached an agreement to become exclusive wholesale supplier to the 2,200 stores across the Costcutter Supermarkets Group network, while members of Nisa Retail also voted in favour of the Co-op’s offer to buy the delivered wholesale and convenience retail specialist.
The 2018 expansion plans mean that the Co-op is on track to have opened at least 100 new stores in each of three consecutive years.
“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,” said Co-op Food chief executive Jo Whitfield.
