Central England Co-op colleagues working 24/7 to supply record numbers of Christmas stock to stores
Posted by james brindle | Published: 05/11/2019
Colleagues have been working day and night at Central England Co-operative’s distribution hub to deliver more festive treats than ever before to ensure customers and members can have a fantastic Christmas.
Staff have been labouring around the clock at three sites in Leicester to make sure that shelves across the Society’s stores are stocked with everything from mince pies and tubs of chocolate to wrapping paper and Christmas crackers.
Over 260,000 packs of mince pies, nearly 200,000 tubs of confectionery, over 100,000 chocolate oranges and over 23,000 Christmas puddings will have made their way through the Society’s 120,000 square foot Food Distribution Centre in Scudamore Road by the time Christmas comes around.
The team then pick, pack and transport out to over 240 Central England Co-operative stores across 16 counties, as well as supplying 45 stores for two other co-operatives.
Simultaneously, colleagues in the 42,000 sq ft Chilled Distribution Centre are now getting ready for the peak trading for chilled foods in the busy few shopping days just before Christmas.
Over two million cases of chilled food including turkeys, ham joints, Christmas desserts and salads will be distributed in the run-up to Christmas.
Robin Farrell, Head of Distribution and Logistics at Central England Co-operative, said: “The unwavering efforts of colleagues at our distribution centres ensure Central England Co-operative customers can enjoy a special time at Christmas.
“Planning for Christmas begins in January each year for all those involved with the distribution operation as items need to be produced in time for December.
“Christmas may come once a year, but it really is an all-year-round operation for our colleagues.”
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