Family-run bakery chain Cooplands has launched a service to deliver food to communities across its Yorkshire and north east heartland, including grocery staples not usually stocked by the business.
Despite food-to-go retailers such as Greggs, Pret a Manger, Subway and other national chains closing all outlets following the lockdown in the UK caused by the coronavirus outbreak, more than two-thirds of Cooplands’ 172 shops have remained open.
The business has closed its cafés, mobile food vans and city centre outlets, with workers furloughed, but the shops in residential areas remain open, with new safety measures put in place based on Public Health England advice.
Cooplands said it was distributing food packages to customers within 10-15 miles of its three main production sites in Durham, Hull and Scarborough, including essential items not typically stocked by the business.
The bakery chain also increased bread production at its three main production facilities to meet demand.
The 135-year old business added it had pivoted its operations to better serve community need, supported by a flexible funding facility to aid cashflow from Lloyds Bank.
“We have a long history as a community-focused business, bringing local produce and baked goods to families across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the North East,” said Cooplands CEO Belinda Youngs.
“Our ambition is to quite literally put bread and other staples on the table during these challenging times and it’s only possible for us to react to changing market conditions as quickly as we have with confidence in the support of our bank.
“The team at Lloyds Bank has been exceptionally fleet-footed in putting the conditions in place for our cashflow to remain in good health. In addition, while we have regrettably had to furlough some employees associated with our cafés, mobile food vans and city centre shops that don’t serve residential communities, the new funding will ultimately preserve those jobs in the long term.”
Hannah Douglass, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, added: “We remain committed to being by the side of businesses, especially during this challenging and unprecedented period.
“As such, we’re working closely with government to provide the short and long-term funding needed by businesses both large and small. This includes setting aside £2bn of arrangement fee-free finance to help firms affected by Covid-19.”
Specific safety measures in Cooplands’ shops include:
- Minimising the number of customers depending on the size of shop and communication to customers on social distancing rules via point of sale
- Standing spots in all shops for customers
- Countertop Perspex guards to shield staff and customers from each other
- 1.5 million pairs of disposable gloves issued to shops for making sandwiches and handling cash. All contact points in the shop are disinfected every hour
- Customers to pay by contactless wherever possible – contactless payments have gone from 26% to over 80% of transactions as a result
- Changed production and preparation routines (including zoned areas)
- Marked passing points to ensure only one staff member goes through zoned areas at any one time
- Doors being wedged open to remove contact points
- Personal belongings segregated and staff breaks rotated
- Shops are being run with fewer staff to reduce the number of staff in shop at any one time
- Operational hours are being extended to allow for greater opening preparation and close-down cleaning
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