Leicester-based distribution centre gets set to ship millions of items to Co-op stores this summer
Posted by rob smyth | Published: 21/07/2017
Colleagues at Central England Co-operative Chilled Distribution Centre have been working around the clock to ensure stores are stocked full of everything customers need to enjoy the summer.
As youngsters break up from school and families get set for their holidays, a dedicated team of 170 colleagues at the Society’s Chilled Distribution Centre, in Leicester, have been working hard since all the way back in Easter to ensure shelves will be properly stocked with everything from salads to the best cuts of meats.
The Chilled Distribution Centre operates seven days a week to receive, pick, assemble and deliver over 320,000 bags of sweet and crunchy salad, 348,000 cucumbers, 375,000 burgers, 143,000 punnets of raspberries, 135,000 punnets of strawberries, 78,000 tubs of double cream, 38,000 packs of chicken barbecue drumsticks and over 42,000 Melton Mowbray pork pies – all in a bid to make sure people across the country are stocked up for everything from picnics in the park to family barbecues.
Colleagues have also been distributing hundreds of other items including thousands of joints of meat, salad and fruit items, pizzas and summertime favourites.
Ian Spencer, Chilled Distribution Centre Manager, said: “When the sun shines the Chilled Distribution Centre can get very busy.
“We always want to make sure our customers enjoy the best summer possible and our team always work tirelessly to ensure this is the case.”
The hard work will not stop once the summer months have ended for Society colleagues who work in Distribution as the preparation for Christmas starts to begin.
Last year, workers in the Food Distribution Centre shifted 61,000 tubs of Celebrations and nearly 81,000 tubs and boxes of Miniature Heroes during the Christmas period.
Find out all about the latest summer Central England Co-operative deals at https://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 gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, 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 2017.
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 Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children 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 / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop