Co-op invests £1.5m in Yorkshire stores

The Co-op is investing £1.5m in Yorkshire by opening new stores and creating 28 new jobs.
The Co-op is investing in new Yorkshire stores, creating 28 jobs. Picture by Jon SuperThe Co-op is investing in new Yorkshire stores, creating 28 jobs. Picture by Jon Super
The Co-op is investing in new Yorkshire stores, creating 28 jobs. Picture by Jon Super

New Co-op food stores on Skipton Road in Steeton and on Paragon Street in York open at the end of next week and a refurbished store on Elmbridge Parade in Hull will re-open tomorrow.

The stores will be among the first in the UK to bear the new Co-op logo.

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Co-op area manager Richard Walker said; “We are thrilled to have made such a significant investment in Yorkshire and delighted that we have three exciting food stores – the new stores in Steeton and York, and the refurbished store in Hull, to serve the community – it is an exciting time for the whole team.”

Last month the Co-operative group announced plans overhaul its retail footprint across the UK.

The mutual said a £117m deal will see 298 smaller food stores snapped up by McColl’s Retail Group, with money from the sale used to buy 100 new stores this year and 100 more stores in 2017.

The Co-op said it was selling the stores, which are 1,700 sq ft on average, because they are too small to stock all of its own-brand products which have been key to driving up sales.

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It said the move tied in with plans to grow the total number of Co-op members to a million by 2018, while pushing up the total sales from members to 50 per cent.

The Co-op is the fastest growing non-discounter food store according to retail data released by Kantar Worldpanel. The community retailer has grown its Loved by us and Truly Irresistible own-brand sales by seven per cent, with sales of fresh and chilled produce growing fastest.

Like-for-like sales growth in its convenience estate hit four per cent in the year to April, while like-for-sales across its food stores in the 52 weeks to January 2 rose by 1.6 per cent.

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