Easter comes early for Central England Co-op customers as chocolate treats fly from the shelves

Posted by james brindle | Published: 22/01/2020


Central England Co-op customers have shown the pull of an Easter chocolate treat is too much to resist, whatever the time of year, as new data reveals tens of thousands of crème eggs and mini eggs have been sold since hitting stores on Boxing Day.

While people were polishing off the last of the Christmas chocolate or looking to cut back on sweet treats in favour of something slightly healthier, the perennial Easter favourites have still found their way into customer baskets.

The latest data from Central England Co-op shows that 64,000 Cadbury Crème Eggs and 58,000 packets of Cadbury Mini Eggs have been sold in its stores since December 26.

Store manager Kev Morris said: “Every year we get asked ‘why are you stocking Easter products already?’ The truth is that the demand is there and as a convenience retailer we aim to make sure we can meet all our customer’s needs.

“While a lot of people see January as a time to get healthier and cut back, the lure of a crème egg or a packet of mini eggs is often too much to resist and much easier to justify after a trip to the gym or as a small treat alongside a healthy diet.

“The popularity of Easter products shows no sign of slowing. We have also stocked hot cross buns all year round for the last four years due to customer demand and they have become a weekly staple for many people.”

Central England Co-op expects to see around four million Easter eggs, treats and related products make their way through the retailer’s 120,000 sq ft Food Distribution Centre in Leicester and into stores across 16 counties in the run-up to Easter this year.

Keep up-to-date with the latest food offers this Easter by visiting www.centralengland.coop/deals

 

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 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