Central England Co-op outlines vision for the future

The retailer, which operates more than 400 food stores, outlined its vision for the future in a film debuted at its first-ever online Annual Members’ Meeting.

Its vision also includes further work to sell more locally-sourced products than ever and the potential of opening more new stores than ever before.

IT and digital director, Liz Robson, said: “We want to strengthen communities through quality convenience. That isn’t just about shopping at a convenience store, it is about making the customer interaction easier and more relevant for them.

“We are now investing heavily in technology to provide an online click-and-collect service, to install new self-checkouts, and to launch a scan and go app.”

Andy Peake, commercial director,  added: “A big focus for us is to increase the amount of locally sourced products so we can offer our customers something unique as well as supporting local businesses.

“This is part of our plan to offer regionally tailored products and services within your local community – what you will see at one end of the country will be different from the other.”

Andrew Buckley, head of property, added: “We want to serve and co-operate with more communities so we are looking to open more food stores than ever before. This will allow us to reach more people and offer an alternative to the big players.

“Our expansion plans are more relevant than ever as people move towards shopping more locally due to Covid-19.”

The film can be viewed here.