Boost for food convenience on Campus as new Co-op store launches at the University of Birmingham

27 May 2026

Food-to-go, evening meals and late-night study treats just got easier at the University of Birmingham as a new Co-op store launches on campus.

The University of Birmingham has teamed up with Co-op to launch the latest addition to campus life, with a range and choice developed to conveniently serve those living, studying, working and, visiting the site.

The store has a strong focus on quick and easy customer service, with an array of 13 self-service till points designed to serve the student population during peak times of the day.

Conveniently located in the University Centre, the store will include an in-store bakery and Costa Coffee Express; meal deals and food to go; a focus on fresh and healthy products; Fairtrade products; world foods; ready meals and meal ideas; pizzas; fresh meats and dairy and, everyday essentials.

There are deals and promotions throughout the store, with Member price savings creating additional value for Co-op members who can save more with lower prices on the products shoppers buy most.

The store is operated by the University of Birmingham as a franchise and supports 14 local jobs. In addition, opportunities are expected to become available for students via the University of Birmingham’s Worklink-Hub which is dedicated to helping students find flexible, part-time work on campus so that students can earn while they learn and develop new skills to boost their employability.

Peter Kelland, University of Birmingham’s Head of Retail and Brands, said: “We’re delighted to launch our latest addition to campus life - our new Co-op. Our focus is on giving students easy access to affordable, high quality food in a space designed around university life. Co op’s strong commitment to sustainability and community aligns closely with our values and we have worked together to create a store which I am confident will exceed the expectations of the University’s students and staff.”

Melanie Crunkhorn, Co-op Franchise Business Development Manager, said: " We’re proud to unveil our newest store at the University of Birmingham. Our stores are set up to be more than just a shop, they are a hub locally, and by working together we’ve created a store which is focussed on the pace and needs of this diverse and dynamic campus community. We have a focus on offering quality products, value and choice that can be enjoyed by everyone, along with bringing the benefits of Co-op membership to a new community. We’re really looking forward to welcoming those living, working and visiting the site into their new Co-op. We’re proud to become part of campus life, and we’re here to serve and support the University of Birmingham, conveniently.”

Earlier this month Co-op confirmed new stores would open om campus in Birmingham and Glasgow, Co-op also has stores located on further Russell Group University campus located in Leeds, Newcastle and Warwick – the latter being the largest Co-op store on campus. The new stores at Birmingham (and Glasgow when it launches later this summer) will take the total number of Co-op’s university campus franchise stores to 14.

Co-op’s Franchise operation continues to grow, with the number of Franchise stores increasing by 16% to the end of 2025, with 65 locations (y/end 2025). A strong pipeline of launches on university campus, petrol forecourts, hospitals and with independent retailers is expected to see the number of Co-op Franchise stores grow to over 100 during 2026.

With its history dating back more than 180 years, Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer-owned co-operatives.

Co-op exists to create value for its membership and communities, its more than 7m members own the business and play an intrinsic part in the governance of the organisation.

More information about the benefits of Co-op Membership is available by visiting coop.co.uk/membership

For more information about Co-op's award-winning franchise operation, visit coop.co.uk/franchise

< ends >

About Co-op:

Co-op Group is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, operating across food retail, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by around 7.2 million active member-owners, Co-op exists to meet their needs and champion the causes they care about. With more than 2,300 food stores, 800 funeral homes and a wholesale business supplying around 8,000 additional outlets, Co-op employs 53,000 colleagues and generates annual revenues of over £11 billion. It is a recognised leader in ethical business and community-led programmes, creating long-term value for members and communities across the UK.

For journalist/press enquiries, please contact:

Andrew Torr
Lead Press Officer | Co-op Group
M – 07702505551
E - andrew.torr@coop.co.uk
E - pressoffice@coop.co.uk