Co-op invests £3.5 million in new stores, funeral homes and refits in Derbyshire during 2019

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 01/01/2020


Central England Co-operative has revealed it has invested nearly £12 million and created hundreds of jobs as part of major expansion plans during 2019 – with over £3.5 million spent in Derbyshire.

Throughout the year the Society has opened 10 new food stores and two new funeral booking offices as well as relaunching six funeral homes and nine convenience stores.

The major development programme has seen investment in the following areas: Birmingham, Stafford, Nottingham, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

In Derbyshire, the Society has opened new stores in Calow, Mackworth and Belper, while revamping its Ripley store, funeral home in Chaddesden and crematorium in Bretby - spending £3,558,000 in the process and creating over 40 new jobs.

The food stores offer shoppers an expansive range of products and are fitted out with pioneering new energy efficient refrigeration technologies and LED lighting to minimise environmental impact. Many of the stores also includes free water refill stations, phone charging areas, indoor and outdoor seating, collection points for local food banks and customer toilets.

Links also continued to be forged with the local community via inviting local schools to design special pieces of artwork that have now been placed on the inside or outside of the stores.

Openwoodgate, Belper, Store Manager Angela Allwood said: “All of us here at Central England Co-operative Food Stores across our trading area are proud to be part of such great communities and are looking forward to welcoming all customers, old and new, to come and enjoy our new and revamped food stores.”

All new and revamped funeral homes now offer a vastly superior look and feel for families and include new and improved decoration, flooring, lighting, bathroom facilities and air conditioning.

Chaddesden Lane Funeral Director Louise Eley said: “Our first priority is to enhance memories and love for all of our families and we are very pleased to offer that at our revamped and new homes.

“We feel they reflect our commitment to providing excellent standards of care for our families during their time of bereavement.”

The funeral homes offer a 24-hour service, seven days a week.

The work throughout 2019 has been part of an ambitious food store and funeral home development programme, with further investment planned during 2020.

 

Notes to editors

 

Picture caption: Central England Co-op customers and members come together in Belper to celebrate major investment by the retailer across its food stores and funeral homes in Derbyshire during 2019.

 

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 member 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