Southern Co-op rolls out new fascia and enhances ranging and merchandising

Southern Co-op has begun rolling out a new fascia and enhanced its product ranging and merchandising in a bid to drive footfall and sales.

Announced at the ACS Conference 2025 this week, the society’s chief operating officer Simon Eastwood explained it had introduced the International Co-operative Alliance’s global marque at selected stores.

“We love the freshness and sharpness that the international branding gives us,” he said.

It has committed to rebranding five stores this year, including its Bradford-on-Avon, Eastleigh and Clanfield sites. The society is also considering installing the new fascia at an additional 20 sites.

Southern Co-op has also made several changes in both product ranging and merchandising to enhance how it supports top-up, breakfast, lunch, and food for tonight missions in selected stores.

It has regrouped its food for now options – for example, bringing together the meal deal and other immediate meal solutions to make it easier for customers to complete this mission “quickly and intuitively,” the society said. It has also repositioned the bakery into a new, purpose-built display with feature lighting.

“This creates an attractive, eye-catching zone that draws attention to freshly baked goods, complementing the meal deal offer and encouraging additional purchases during the breakfast and lunchtime missions,” Southern Co-op commercial manager for proposition and delivery Pete Treasure told The Grocer.

“This improved layout supports the first in-store mission by ensuring customers are greeted with clearly signposted, relevant solutions upon entry, while also promoting ease of navigation. This re-organisation also enables a more logical and methodical flow through the store, leading naturally into the food for later and food for tonight zones. These areas have been enhanced through clearer segmentation and better adjacency planning.”

Southern Co-op has also expanded its frozen range in partnership with Cook, which has also been “strategically merchandised” along beers, wines and spirits to encourage basket spend. 

”This cross-category placement creates a compelling meal solution area near the tills and service zones, maximising visibility and encouraging incremental purchases,” added Treasure.

The new ranging and merchandising was being trialled in selected stores as Southern Co-op monitors customer response and sales uplift, the society said.

“Early feedback has been positive, and subject to continued performance, we plan to roll this format out to a wider number of stores through targeted projects, refits and store launches,” added Treasure.