The Co-operative has announced it will open and extend 65 stores and create 1,000 new jobs.
It comes as the retailer, which operates more than 2,600 food stores, announced it will accelerate a £130m store investment plan throughout the remainder of 2020.The move will see Co-op open, extend or relocate more than three stores a week up until December.
More than 100 further outlets are also set to get a “major” makeover under the plans, it said, and all its new stores will run on 100 per cent renewable electricity.
The investment programme will also see Co-op launch up to 12 additional franchises this year, including at Stirling and Oxford Brookes universities, with more university locations in discussion for next year.
The Co-op said the role of the retailer was “shifting” to meet the demand for “ease, choice and services, delivering convenience for communities”.
David Roberts, managing director for Co-op Property, said: “Co-op works to operate at the heart of local life, making a difference in its communities.
“Multiple factors motivate consumers, with ease, choice and added services chief among them.”
He continued: “We continually look for new locations, sites which are definitively convenient in their community – closer to our Members and customers with proximity shopping a key consumer consideration.
“Cooperation is a fundamental part of our DNA, and through our partnership approach we are enriching our offer to make convenience truly compelling in our communities.”
Chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, James Lowman, said Co-op’s announcement is “testament to the importance of the convenience sector and the role local shops play in people’s everyday lives”.
The announcement comes after John Lewis’s ‘click & collect’ service reached more than 500 Co-op stores and the retailer became the first UK retailer to use autonomous robots to deliver groceries.
Co-op said it is now the most widely available supermarket on Deliveroo.
