New Food Stores for Scotland as The Co-operative Expands

The Co-operative Food’s ambitious expansion plans in Scotland are moving into gear, with four new stores set to open in the autumn and more planned.

Construction has already started on a new 3500sqft convenience store in Darvel, Ayrshire, which is expected to open in November and will create 10 new in-store jobs.

Other Co-operative Food stores set to open this year are at Bearsden, near Glasgow; Bishopton, in Renfrewshire; and in Livingston, close to St John’s Hospital.

The consumer-owned retailer now operates a food store in every postal area in the UK, a milestone achieved earlier this year with the opening of its flagship Strand store in London WC2.

UK-wide, it has announced plans to open more than 300 food outlets over the next three years, creating around 7000 jobs.

In Scotland, as many as 40 potential sites are currently being considered for new Co-operative Food stores.

John McNeill, The Co-operative Food’s regional operations director in Scotland, said: "These are exciting times for The Co-operative Food. Following the acquisition and integration of Somerfield we are looking to expand our estate still further.

"We already have stores at the heart of communities right across Scotland, from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders.

"Our food property team is actively looking for opportunities to grow the business, by liaising with agents, landlords and developers to identify the right properties in the right locations."

The Co-operative, already the UK’s fifth-largest food retailer, is focusing on stores between 2000 and 18,000sqft, particularly in city centre and community locations. It has recently expanded its food property team, effectively doubling the size of its acquisitions team and its retail location analysis team.

"Scotland has always been very important to The Co-operative," McNeill added. "We are proud of our record of serving the nation’s diverse communities, from city centres to small islands, and it is key to our future that we continue to grow here."

Last week The Co-operative also officially opened its new £25 million state-of-the-art distribution centre at Newhouse, near Glasgow, which will serve all its food stores across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Looking for help and advice in getting your product into the retail multiples? Use Scotland Food & Drink's 'How Do I...' Guides.

More retail news from Scotland.