Central England Co-operative officially opens its new store in Stowupland following an investment of £1.4 million and the creation of 20 new jobs
Posted by james brindle | Published: 07/06/2019
Central England Co-op has officially opened its new store in Stowupland – creating 20 new jobs and investing £1.4 million in the area.
The Food Store, which is based in Thorney Green, offers shoppers an expansive range of products and is fitted out with pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies to minimise environmental impact, LED lighting and a lifesaving defibrillator.
It has been built next to the pre-existing Petrol Filling Station run by the retailer, which has also received a makeover as part of the works.
To mark the opening, colleagues were joined by the Vice Chairman of Mid Suffolk District Council Councillor Barry Humphreys MBE and Central England Co-op Chief Executive Debbie Robinson to cut the ribbon and declare the store open for business.
They were also joined by representatives from Stowmarket & Area Food Bank to accept a donation from Store Manager Anna Alfredson, who has worked at Central England Co-op for 18 years since leaving school, working her way up from Customer Services Assistant to Store Manager.
Anna said: “My team and I were so excited to finally allow our members and customers to see our new store. We are all from the local area – I live in Rickinghall and have worked at this site for 18 months, having previously been Store Manager at our Food Store in Eye for 12 years.
“The new store looks fantastic and already customers have been making many positive comments about how it looks and the different products and services now available.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank customers for their patience. It has been long-awaited, but hopefully everyone will enjoy the store as much as we do.
“All of us here at Stowupland Food Store are proud to be part of such a great community and are looking forward to welcoming all customers, old and new, to come and enjoy our new store.”
The Stowupland Co-operative Food Store is open from 6am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. The store offers a wide range of products from everyday necessities to something a little more special.
The store offer includes fresh and local fruit and vegetables, an in-store bakery offering breads and pastries, chilled beers and wines, fresh and frozen product, Irresistible product ranges, and a great selection of food to go.
It also offers Lottery, Paypoint, Collect Plus, foreign currency and a free and extended car park, as well as a lifesaving defibrillator.
Customers will also be able to support local good causes as specialist collection points have been installed for Stowmarket & Area Food Bank.
Notes to editors
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK.
It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, travel shops, and property investment.
Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2019.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth and James Brindle at Central England Co-operative on 01543 421390
Email – publicrelations@centralengland.coop