Central England Co-op invests almost a quarter of a million pounds in Kettering with transformation of three stores in the town

Posted by james brindle | Published: 25/10/2021

Retailer Central England Co-op has highlighted its commitment to Kettering by giving fresh new looks to three of its stores in the town investing almost £250,000.

The stores in London Road, St John’s Road and Grange Place have received makeovers in recent weeks to give them a lighter, fresher feel and include some exciting new features and ranges for locals to enjoy.

The London Road store has been undergoing a makeover after almost £100,000 of investment with changes including:

• New product ranges to suit shoppers’ tastes      
• Fantastic new features such as brand-new Costa Coffee and Tango Ice Blast machines
• Refreshed signage and decoration inside

Store Manager Aiden Perkins said: “The new features we have are really exciting and the changes have freshened and opened up the store. It feels much bigger and airy when you walk in which creates a much better first impression for our customers.

“We have had some positive feedback so far from our customers about the changes and they are really happy to see investment in their local community store.”

The St John’s Road store has received over £80,000 of investment with improvements including:

• Brand-new Costa Coffee and Tango Ice Blast machines to boost food to go offer
• Refreshed signage and decoration inside
• Improved product ranges to better suit customer’s tastes

Store Manager Ben Wilkinson said: “The changes have given the store a much lighter feel and all the team are really happy with it. The new features have been really well received and we have some fantastic new ranges, including more of our Irresistible range and great local products.”

Kettering’s Grange Place store has also received a fresh new look after a £68,000 investment with changes including:

• Enhanced food to go section with brand-new Costa Coffee, Tango Ice Blast and Rollover hot dog machines
• Refreshed signage and decoration including a new look kiosk

Store Manager Nigel Smith said: “We are all over the moon at the improvements and have been delighted to show off the changes to our local community who have been really positive about the new look.

“I was here 21 years ago when the store launched and have been around different stores but to be back here now as the store receives this new look feels like I have come full circle and makes it even more exciting.”

The London Road Food Store is open Monday-Sunday 7am-10pm. The store has a wide range of products from everyday necessities to something a little more special and also offers a lifesaving defibrillator, cash machine, Collect Plus/Paypoint, Lottery, instore bakery and a customer car park. It also offers a home delivery service with shopping delivered via an eco-friendly electric van.

The St John’s Road Food Store is open Monday-Sunday 7am-10pm. As well as a wide range of products, it also has a lifesaving defibrillator, as well as a cash machine, Collect Plus/Paypoint, Lottery, instore bakery and a customer car park.

The Grange Place Food Store is also open every day 7am-10pm and has a wide range of products, as well as a lifesaving defibrillator, cash machine, Collect Plus/Paypoint, Lottery and an instore bakery.

Notes to editors

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK with interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its over 7,800 colleagues serve customers across 400 plus trading sites in 16 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Its purpose is to inspire communities to create a sustainable Society for all.

It actively campaigns for the Government to increase sentencing for violent attacks on retail workers and works with FareShare Midlands and hundreds of food banks, generating enough food donations to create over 2.1 million meals for people in need.

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter, while it is also fully committed to addressing the impact of climate change and is on track to be Carbon Neutral by 2030. 

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £175,000 shared out between 116 good causes over the past 12 months.

Central England Co-op was named Leading Co-op of the Year by Co-operatives UK in 2021.

Press office contacts: Rob Smyth and James Brindle

Phone - 01543 421390

Email - publicrelations@centralengland.coop