Co-op calls for Government to finish the job on business-rates reform as it plans to open 50 stores before Christmas

Co-op plans to open more than 50 new or transformed stores across the UK before Christmas as it continues to invest in local high streets, while calling on the Government to deliver business-rates reform to secure the future of small shops and community retail.

Co-op said that long-term investment confidence across the sector now depends on the Government following through on the promised reform, giving thousands of retailers the certainty they need to plan, invest and protect jobs.

The openings, which takes Co-op’s investment to more than £200 million over 2024/25 in over 200 new and transformed stores, are a variety of formats and locations and reflect the vastness and diversity of communities Co-op operates in.

Included in the 50 is Co-op becoming the first permanent retailer at the new Brent Cross Town development in London, five new micro-format ‘on the go’ stores*, a new franchise store at Lancaster University, which will take the number of university campus Co-op franchise stores to 11, with the most northern of the 50 in the Scottish Highlands village of Brora, and the most southerly in Devon and Cornwall.

The investment underlines Co-op’s confidence in the future of local, physical retail and its commitment to creating value for members, colleagues and communities. The retailer said that certainty on business rates will be vital to sustaining investment and unlocking further growth across the sector.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Co-op Group CEO, said: “We’re investing in stores and communities right across the UK because we believe in the future of the high street. But sustained growth needs certainty. Business-rates reform is vital if retailers – especially the 99 percent who run small stores – are to plan with confidence, protect jobs and keep local economies thriving.

Co-op is showing what’s possible when businesses commit to communities. The Government now has an opportunity in the Autumn Budget to do its part by delivering the reform that’s long been promised – giving every retailer, from small to large, the stability to invest and grow.”

Stores opening in November and December are a mix of new sites and re-openings following major investment. Each site will offer member price savings, parcel collection, and rapid delivery through Co-op’s own online shop and partners including Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats.

Co-op’s ongoing focus on convenience includes backing British farmers and producers, with 100 percent of its fresh and frozen meat, including as an ingredient, sourced from the UK.

*: Further new micro stores to open in Aylesbury, Kingston and Leamington (following launches in Solihull and Altrincham)