Major investment set to transform Leicestershire food store with completely new look

Posted by james brindle | Published: 11/03/2022

• Central England Co-op in Kibworth is currently being transformed ahead of a relaunch next month with a whole new look
• The dramatic transformation will also include improved ranges and new features such as self-checkout tills and a revamped food to go section, as well as changes to ensure the store is more sustainable for the future such as new eco-friendly refrigeration and lighting

A Central England Co-op in Leicestershire is currently being transformed with a major investment to create a more modern and sustainable food store for the local community.

The food store in High Street, Kibworth is being completely refreshed with a new look and new customer offering to create a contemporary store to meet the shopping needs of customers and members.

Work is progressing on site, and it’s planned that the store will relaunch on Friday, 1 April with changes including:

• New features inside such as a zero-waste refill station, new self-checkout tills and a revamped food to go section with Tango Ice Blast and hot food such as Rollover hot dogs
• All new eco-friendly refrigeration and lighting and a recycle station
• Improvements externally including an improved car park with wider parking spaces and a free bicycle repair station and seating for the local community

Kibworth Store Manager Sunni Stewart said: “It’s a really exciting time for the team here at Kibworth and we’re thrilled to have been chosen for such a significant transformation which will make a huge difference to the shopping experience for our customers and members.

“I’m sure the new features and fantastic new ranges we’re set to offer will prove really popular with our shoppers. I’m also excited to see how the store is being improved with some great new environmentally friendly elements to make the store more sustainable and fit for the future.

“Unfortunately, there’s had to be some disruption taking place due to the scale of the works and I’d like to thank our wonderful community in Kibworth for their patience. I’m sure once they see the result of the transformation, they’ll agree with us that it will have all been worth it.”

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 with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its over 8,000 colleagues serve customers across 400 plus trading sites in 20 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

Its purpose is to inspire communities to create a sustainable Society for all.

It actively campaigns for the Government to increase sentencing for violent attacks on retail workers and works with FareShare Midlands and hundreds of food banks, generating enough food donations to create over 2.1 million meals for people in need.

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter, while it is also fully committed to addressing the impact of climate change and is on track to be Carbon Neutral by 2030. 

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £175,000 shared out between 116 good causes over the past 12 months.

Central England Co-op was named Leading Co-op of the Year by Co-operatives UK in 2021.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop