Central England Co-op to open more sites
Central England Co-op plans to open more than 10 new supermarkets and funeral homes and revamp dozens more across the country as part of an ambitious investment plan throughout 2018.
The society, which has its headquarters in Lichfield, expects to create hundreds of jobs as part of the multi-million project which will see new sites launched across its trading estate of 16 counties.
New food shops and funeral homes are currently planned for Birmingham, Peterborough, Yorkshire, Derby, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, and Nottingham.
A further 10 stores and 20 funeral homes across a wide range of towns and cities will also be given a major makeover.
Martyn Cheatle, chief executive of Central England Co-op, said: “We are really proud of the success of our food business, especially with our continued good performance in what is a highly competitive and increasingly uncertain trading environment.
“We want to continue with that success and this is why we are committed to an ambitious growth and investment strategy during the next 12 months.
“We are now in the process of getting ready to open and revamp dozens of food stores and funeral homes and we cannot wait to welcome colleagues, members and shoppers, both old and new, into them for the first time during 2018.”
The new and revamped sites will feature upgraded fixtures and fittings including the latest in pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies to minimise environmental impact and LED lighting.
The opening of all new supermarkets will be celebrated with a special golden ticket giveaway, where 50 lucky shoppers will be able to win everything from a big screen television to hundreds of pounds in vouchers.
Customers and members will be able to enjoy everything from everyday necessities to something a little more special as a result alongside a range of community benefits.
This includes the Community Dividend Fund which last year saw 122 groups share over £200,000 to pay for everything from defibrillators to vital school equipment.
The society opened eight new food sites and five new funeral homes in 2017 as well as re-launching more than 15 funeral sites and more than 20 convenience shops.
This major development programme resulted in an investment of over £15 million, creating dozens of new jobs.
