Newly merged retail society OurCoop has opened four new food stores and two travel branches since it formed in January, backed by £9.3m of investment.
The society, formed from a merger between Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star co-ops, says the stores strengthen its presence across key catchments – Leicestershire (Desford), Buckinghamshire (Wavendon), Gloucestershire (Leckhampton, pictured), and Merseyside (Rainhill), alongside two new Co-op Travel branches in Lichfield and Cheltenham.
It adds that the stores continue its “focus on developing a modern, community-led convenience format, combining strong fresh and local ranges with an in-store experience tailored to neighbourhood needs”, and are designed to deliver “operational efficiency alongside community value”.
Features include solar panels, bird boxes, EV charging stations, community gardens, and bike maintenance stations, alongside local partnerships.
More than 50 jobs have been across the six locations, OurCoop adds.
“As a co-operative business, making a positive difference is at the heart of how we operate.” said CEO Debbie Robinson. “Our scale and breadth mean we can support our members every day and throughout life’s big moments, generating greater value through our businesses and reinvesting for the long- term.
“That’s the power of co-operation, a system where participation creates benefit and the more Members participate and trade with us, the greater the impact we can have together. The opening of these new stores will only support this further, deepening our roots in our local towns and villages.”
