The Co-op Group is investing £4.8m in opening seven stores across London throughout November.
Around 100 jobs will be created in the capital with the openings. The store locations and setting up costs are:
- 16 November – Pollard’s Hill, Mitcham: £1.1m
- 23 November – Haydons Road, Wimbledon: £646,000
- 23 November – New Kings Road, Fulham: £611,000
- 23 November – Upminster Road, Upminster: £624,000
- 30 November – South Lambeth Road, £618,000
- 30 November – Latimer Road Station: £663,000
- 30 November – Alderbrook Road, Wandsworth: £622,000
A variety of local community groups are also set to get a funding boost through the Group’s new membership scheme, which sees 1% of spend on own-brand goods going directly to local causes.
Those set to benefit include Mitcham’s Action on Elder Abuse; Friends of West Wimbledon Primary School; Wimbledon Pregnancy Resource Centre; iDebate, a Fulham-based enterprise which aims to educate young people in the art of debating; and the St. Cuthbert’s Centre in Earls Court.
Peter Batt, divisional managing director for the Group, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for the Co-op in London as we gear up to launch seven brand new stores in just two weeks. As well as being hubs for the local community, our stores are committed to providing a consistently brilliant in-store experience, allowing customers living in busy urban areas to get what they want, when they want.
“We’re very proud of how much we’ve achieved so far in 2017 and our membership message really seems to be striking a chord with shoppers. We now have over 330,000 members in the capital who together have helped us to raise almost £3m for 1,000 good causes since we launched our new membership scheme last September. Just by swiping a membership card, people can make a real difference to local life and become a co-owner of their local Co-op.
“Our new store launches, together with our ever growing range of locally-sourced produce and increasing member numbers put us in a strong position as we look towards further expansion in 2018.”
