Central Co-op is closing 19 of its food stores across the UK by May, in response to rising operational costs, increased rents, and the continued impact of the cost-of-living crisis. The closures are concentrated in regions including the Midlands, East Anglia, South Yorkshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Leicestershire.
Three of the stores will be converted into B&M outlets. At the same time, the remaining 16 will be taken over by Samy Limited, a convenience store operator linked to brands such as Spar, Londis, and Premier. Alongside the food store closures, six funeral homes will also cease operations as part of a broader restructuring effort.
The affected locations include stores in Barnby Dun, Broughton, Croft, Desborough, Dudley, Eastwood, Enderby, Kingstanding, Leicester (Evington Road and Narborough Road), Narborough, Peterborough, Sprowston, Stafford, Wigston, Yardley, Cromer, Erdington, and Shepshed.
While Central Co-op consolidates, the wider Co-operative Group plans to open more than 120 new grocery stores following a strong year of profit growth. However, the group has also cautioned that further government-imposed costs on retailers could increase the strain on high streets and local economies.
