Co-op invests £400k in boosting its stores and funeral homes in the West Midlands
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 17/07/2018
Central England Co-operative has revealed it has invested over £400,000 so far this year as part of ongoing efforts to improve the experience of customers across the West Midlands.
This has been used to pay for a brand new Food Store and revamps of two others – creating dozens of jobs and investing £434,000.
Members and customers queued around the block to take a closer look at the Kings Norton Food Store when it opened and some were lucky enough to walk away with prizes ranging from a 49” TV to Co-op vouchers as part of a special golden ticket giveaway.
Kings Norton Central England Co-operative Store Manager Rachael Pretty said: “Our team were so excited to finally allow our members and customers to see our new store. It looks fantastic and customers have been making many positive comments about how it looks and the different products and services now available.”
A total of £194,000 was spent on the new site which features pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies to minimise environmental impact, LED lighting and a lifesaving defibrillator
Other sites to have received investment include stores in Tividale and Acocks Green.
The work in the West Midlands is part of an ambitious Food Store and Funeral Home development programme for 2018, with further investment planned in the area throughout 2018 and into 2019.
Several sites are set to receive a further cash injection for improvements in the coming months including Moseley, Yardley, Kingstanding, Oldbury, and Kitts Green.
Acocks Green Store Manager Jatinder Sondh said: “All of us here at Central England Co-operative Food Stores and Funeral Homes across the West Midlands 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 and revamped sites now and in the future.”
Customers and members will also be able to enjoy a range of community benefits as a result of the Society’s investment in the West Midlands.
Last year, thousands of pounds were handed out to groups in the county from Central England Co-operative’s Community Dividend Fund. A total of 11 groups and charities shared over £18,000.
The fund guarantees that at least one per cent of the Society’s trading profit is reinvested in local communities in a bid to help projects to thrive across its trading area.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time they spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund.
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
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Colleagues from Central England Co-op’s new Food Store in Kings Norton were all smiles on launch day.
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 2018.
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 / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop