Co-op to create 1,000 new jobs in post-lockdown £130m investment drive
Co-op is preparing to open a raft of new stores and create up to 1,000 new jobs as part of a £130m investment programme, as consumers have shopped more locally during the coronavirus pandemic.
The convenience store chain announced this morning that it is planning to open or extend 65 stores, with a further 100 sites earmarked for refurbishment.
In total, 1,000 new roles will be created alongside 1,000 temporary jobs that have become permanent.
An additional 12 new Co-op franchise stores will launch this year, including at Oxford Brookes University and Stirling University.
More campus location openings are planned for next year.
Co-op said that 70 per cent of UK adults have relied on convenience stores recently, with shoppers visiting their local branch more than three times a week on average.
Co-op Property managing director David Roberts said: “Co-op works to operate at the heart of local life, making a difference in its communities.
“Multiple factors motivate consumers, with ease, choice and added services chief among them. We continually look for new locations, sites which are definitively convenient in their community.”
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience stores have firmly established themselves as a place that local communities can rely on, not just for groceries but for a growing range of services that have kept the nation going during the last few months.”