Central Co-op Arrives in Manchester with new Shaw Store
Posted by paul reece | Published: 08/09/2023
Central Co-op has officially opened its first store in Manchester, following a £600,000 investment into the site.
Located on Oldham Road in Shaw, the modern community store opened on Friday 8 September, creating 20 jobs for people living in the area.
The new store offers locals an expansive range of food and essentials on their doorstep, including an enhanced Food to Go section with hot food options, a F’real ice cream machine, and a range of Fairtrade products.
In line with the retailer’s sustainability goals, the store has been fitted with eco-friendly fridges, LED lighting, and a free water refill station so local people can stay hydrated. A Bike Service Station is also available at the store, providing a free of charge facility for local cyclists to make necessary repairs and tune up their bicycles.
Additionally, the store benefits from self-service checkouts and a customer toilet with baby changing facilities. A food bank collection point has also been installed to help support the community with the increasing cost-of-living and support local food banks with their growing demand.
Councillor Zahid Chauhan Chauhon OBE, Mayor for Oldham, and pupils from St Joseph’s Primary School were invited along for the official opening. The students enjoyed a tour from Amy Anderson, Store Manager, who said: “We are so excited to be opening our brand-new store in Shaw, and it is exciting to finally have the doors open on our first location in Manchester.
“We are committed to embedding ourselves in the community and building relationships with local people and businesses.”
Councillor Zahid Chauhan OBE added: “It’s a pleasure to have been invited to the opening of Central Co-op’s first store in Manchester, which will make a wonderful addition to the local area.
“The store has already created 20 new jobs for local people and offers a variety of community services. It has been great to learn more about Central Co-op’s commitment to the communities it operates within, and how it plans to continue to give back to the Shaw community. The team have done a brilliant job so far, and I wish them every success in the future.”
The store is now open from 07:00 to 22:00, Monday to Sunday. Shoppers will be able to purchase a wide range of products from everyday necessities to something a little more special. This includes fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled beers and wines, and fresh and frozen produce. Fresh pastries and bread are available from the in-store bakery and the store also offers Lottery, Paypoint and a free cash machine.
Shoppers visiting the Shaw store can sign up to become a Central Co-op member to receive a range of special offers, join member groups and activities and help support the local community through the Society’s Community Dividend Fund. To join online visit https://membership.centralengland.coop/membership/join
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About Central Co-op
Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.
Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 21 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.
It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts.
The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund.
It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022.