Tuesday 1 July 2008

The Co-operative Invests £300,000 in Bristol


The Co-op food store in Henbury, Bristol has unveiled a smart new look on Thursday (May 1) following the completion of a £300,000 revamp that has created four new jobs.
The Crow Lane store will feature the consumer-owned Co-operative Group's new identity, The co-operative, which aims to highlight improved service standards across its 4,500 outlets in the UK, including its travel, pharmacy, funerals and bank branches, as well as its commitment to supporting local communities and ethical trading policies.
Pupils from Blaise Primary School will performed the ribbon cutting ceremony and accepted a donation of £200 for their school’s funds to mark the occasion.
The community store is being transformed with modern décor and a more shopper-friendly layout. The store’s emphasis will be on fresh foods with a wider range available, while the hot food range is being extended to include pies and pasties. All beers and white wines will now be chilled, and popular services, including the lottery, paypoint and an external cash machine, are being retained.
As the leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade foods, The co-operative’s popular Fairtrade products will feature and the store will carry the retailer’s own health and beauty range with products that are not tested on animals.
Shoppers will also benefit from The co-operative’s policy on honest labelling which gives the full facts about its food and drink products, while customers can carry shopping home in 100 percent degradable bags.
The Co-operative Group also gives its customer members a share* of its profits in cash. Members can choose to keep the twice-yearly payouts or donate all or part of them to local worthy causes.
“We provide a much valued service for the local community and I am confident our shoppers will be delighted with our improved store and wider selection of goods which will better meet all the community’s daily grocery needs,” said manager Grant Caddick.

Notes *
Unlike many large organisations, The Co-operative Group is owned by its consumer members and seeks to return a share of its profits to the people who trade with it.
Becoming a member of The Co-operative Group costs just £1 and under the profit share scheme, members earn points on their trade with all the Group’s businesses including food stores, travel, pharmacy and funeral outlets as well as the Co-operative Bank and Co-operative Insurance (CIS). points are converted into a share of profits and paid out twice a year.

Media enquiries: Contact Gideon Fireman, senior public relations officer on 0161 827 5283 or 07711 925 839

No comments: