Central England Co-op officially opens its new store in Leicestershire following an investment of over £1.5 million

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 13/03/2020


Central England Co-op has officially opened its new store in Donington le Heath following an investment of over £1.5million.

The Food Store, which is known as Oak Tree Corner as a nod to the nickname of where it is located, officially opened in Manor Road, Donington le Heath on Friday and offers shoppers an expansive range of products, pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies and LED lighting to minimise environmental impact. The store also includes a free water refill station and a phone charging area.

To mark the opening, colleagues were joined by special guests including children and staff from nearby Hugglescote Community Primary Centre to cut the ribbon.

Children from the school produced a special piece of artwork celebrating the Oak Tree which formerly stood on the site which is featured on the outside of the new store giving the children the chance to see their work every time they visit.

Store Manager Jonathan Bird said: “It was fantastic to be able to welcome Hugglescote Community Primary School to help us cut the ribbon on our brand new store and to see their fantastic artwork recreated on the store which really pays homage to the history of the location in a vibrant and colourful way.

“All of us here at Oak Tree Corner are proud to be part of such a great community in Donington le Heath so therefore were delighted to work with the school on this wonderful feature.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank local residents for their patience. It has been long-awaited, but hopefully everyone will enjoy the store as much as we do.”

Nicky Walker, deputy head teacher at Hugglescote Community Primary School, said the pupils were excited to be part of the launch and that they could pay a special tribute to one of their classmates through the artwork now displayed on the new store.

She said: “We were delighted to be asked to cut the ribbon on the new Central England Co-op store at Oak Tree Corner and particularly thrilled that the children were asked to produce artwork to be part of the design.

“The children had a great time completing the project and have been so excited to come down and have a tour around the store and see their work proudly displayed.

“The artwork has an extra poignancy for us as a school, as the children wanted to make sure it included a fox, which was the favourite animal of one of their friends and classmates who sadly passed away before Christmas, so this will act as a lovely tribute to them.”

Shoppers visiting the store on opening day were able to grab a free Costa Coffee when registering an email address to celebrate the launch, while a further opening offer in the coming weeks will see shoppers able to be entered into special prize draws to win £100.

The Oak Tree Corner Co-operative Food Store is open from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday. The store offers a wide range of products from everyday necessities to something a little more special.

The store offer includes fresh and local fruit and vegetables, an in-store bakery offering breads and pastries, chilled beers and wines, fresh and frozen product, Irresistible product ranges, and a great selection of food to go.

It also offers Lottery, Paypoint, Collect Plus and foreign currency, as well as a Costa Coffee machine, an instant hot water tap so customers can enjoy a herbal tea, free customer car park, customer seating areas inside and outside the store, customer toilets, a free cash machine and a lifesaving defibrilator.

Customers can also support local good causes as a specialist collection point has been installed for Coalville Food Bank and Feed the Need.

 

 

 

Notes to editors

 

Picture caption: Central England Co-op Jonathan Bird cuts the ribbon with youngsters from Hugglescote Community Primary Centre to open the new Oak Tree Corner Community Food Store.

 

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 430 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 2020.

 

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 several 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