The Somerfield store in New Milton will be the first in England to be converted to a Co-operative following The Co-operative Group’s £1.56 billion acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain.
The store on Station Road will close on Saturday (18 April) and re-open five days later as a Co-operative, bringing a new era in community retailing to the town.
It will feature The Co-operative Group's new brand identity which aims to highlight its commitment to supporting local communities and ethical trading policies, as well as improved service standards across its 5,000 outlets in the UK, including its travel, pharmacy, funerals and bank branches.
The Co-operative is investing £200,000 in converting and revamping the New Milton store, and shoppers will also benefit from The Co-operative’s share of profits scheme, which offers customer members cash back on their shopping*.
Members can choose to keep the cash or donate all or part of their share to local worthy causes. Last year, The Co-operative paid out more than £37 million to members and over £1 million to community groups, including £500 to the New Milton Citizens Advice Bureau.
To emphasise its links with the community, children from New Milton Infant and Junior Schools will officially reopen the store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, 23 April, when each school will receive a £100 donation.
The store will feature enhanced and new product ranges, including a wide selection of fruit and vegetables – backed by the community retailer’s ‘Big 5’ commitment to provide substantial savings on at least five fresh fruit and veg products every month to encourage customers to eat their ‘five a day’.
The Co-operative’s ethical and responsible retailing initiatives will be highlighted throughout the store, while its wide selection of Fairtrade products, from fruit and chocolate to award-winning wines, will feature alongside its Healthy Living and premium Truly Irresistible ranges. While The Co-operative Simply Value range will offer good quality basics at everyday prices, there will be extensive product and price promotions throughout the year.
There will also be a greater choice of chilled beers and wines, while The Co-operative Bakery will offer an improved selection of in-store baked breads and pastries, free from hydrogenated fat.
Shoppers will also benefit from The Co-operative’s policy on honest labelling which gives the full facts about its food and drink products, including green dots on pack to highlight healthier products and key nutritional messages. This is in addition to the traffic light information on fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.
As part of its carrier bag reduction policy, customers will be encouraged to use greener alternatives such as The Co-operative Fairtrade Cotton Bag for Life, which costs £1, or the plastic Bag for Life, priced at 10p, which the store will replace for free and then recycle.
Store manager Dani Ruiz-Perez said: “We have always provided a much-valued service for the town, and the store staff and I are delighted that we can continue to do so as part of The Co-operative.
“I am confident that existing and new customers will welcome the changes to the store and the benefits that shopping at The Co-operative brings. Our store will meet all the community’s daily food shopping needs and, in the best traditions of The Co-operative, will make its contribution to community life.”
The store will close on Saturday (18 April) at 1pm and reopen on Thursday, 23 April at 8am followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10am.
Also on the menu, on launch day and over the weekend, will be cookery demonstrations and product tastings, as well as giveaways. On Saturday, 25 April, a face painter and balloon modeller will entertain children.