Top of the Crops . . . British Berry Growers name Co-op 'Retailer of the Year'

17 November 2023

Co-op has been named 'Retailer of the Year' by British Berry Growers at the crop association’s annual retailer event which took place this month (November) in London.

The annual award is presented to the retailer that has achieved the highest growth in berry sales (volume), with Co-op achieving a total increase of 22.1% in volume sales across all berries.

The Co-op supports the NFU’s Fruit and Vegetable pledge, and is committed to close working relationships with British farming and the fresh produce sector to support throughout the seasons.

Mark Cloudy, Co-op Buyer, said: “Co-op is delighted to have received recognition as Retailer of the Year from the British Berry Growers Association. It’s been a fantastic year for the team, from being the first retailer to reveal it was providing 100% British strawberries for the King’s Coronation, to our ongoing support and close working relationships with our British growers and suppliers throughout the seasons – a partnership approach which has delivered a 22% growth this year on British berries volumes, and provided great taste, quality and value for our Members and customers in communities across the UK.”

Commenting on the achievement, British Berry Growers’ chairman Nick Marston, said: “’Co-op’s commitment to buying British berries has been growing year on year. With a rise of 22.1% volume sales across all berries, we are delighted to see Co-op ‘over- indexing’ on year-on-year growth. It’s an achievement we hope other retailers will emulate. We’re delighted by the growth in sales and Co-op’s commitment to driving penetration in the category. It’s so important all our supermarkets get behind our growers. Buying British over imported berries saves on food miles, and we know consumers want British where possible.”

Ends

About British Berry Growers:
British Berry Growers is the industry body for the British berry industry, which is worth £1.79 billion to the UK economy. Its members supply 95 percent of the berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries) in UK supermarkets. Formerly known as British Summer Fruits, British Berry Growers directs world-leading berry research, represents the interests of berry growers to Government and funds Love Fresh Berries, a year-round consumer campaign that celebrates the taste, health, and value of British berries

About Co-op:
Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates over 2,400 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited. Employing almost 60,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

Further information:
Andrew Torr
Senior Press Officer - Co-op Press Office
M: 07702505551
E: andrew.torr@coop.co.uk