The Southern Co-operative has confirmed it has bought six My Local stores as the failed group’s sell-off continues.
Its acquisitions are in Holbury, Addlestone, Ealing, Bristol, Portishead and Wokingham, varying in size from 1,883 sq ft to 2,884 sq ft. Holbury and Addlestone opened on 11 July and the remainder open today (21 July).
“We are extremely excited and pleased to welcome these My Local stores and colleagues to Southern Co-operative,” COO Simon Eastwood told The Grocer.
“All of our new colleagues are very enthusiastic about joining our society and looking forward to getting involved and engaged with their local communities through our Love Your Neighbourhood scheme.”
Southern Co-operative’s total number of food outlets now stands at 199, with the six My Local stores edging it closer towards its target of acquiring 20 additional stores this year.
All My Local staff have transferred over and Southern Co-operative said it was maintaining as many of the c-stores’ existing special offers as possible, such as a hot food and coffee to go deal for just £2.
One new feature introduced as part of the takeover will be a selection of locally sourced products from its Local Flavours range and its community programme, Love Your Neighbourhood, which offers local good causes support with goods in kind, donations of funds, fundraising partnerships and volunteering.
Elsewhere, the CMA has begun an investigation into the Co-op’s purchase of eight My Local stores.
The Co-op has confirmed the number, which is two more than was originally thought.
The two newly announced stores are in Ilkley and Wilmslow adding to those in Croydon, Nottingham, Steeton, Blackpool, Stockport and Widnes that were announced two weeks ago.
The Co-op said the acquisition of the My Local stores supported its focus on convenience store retailing and offering “the right range in the right location”. All staff would transfer across and stores would reopen as Co-ops “as soon as possible”.
The group said its strategy, which had seen like-for-like sales growth in its convenience estate by 4% in the year to April, would be further strengthened when its new member offer went live, rewarding Co-op members for the own-brand trade, this autumn.
The Co-op expects to have roughly 2,550 stores by mid-2017, assuming the sale of 298 of its smaller food stores to McColl’s is also approved by the CMA and McColl’s shareholders.
My Local administrators have now sold 26 stores with 372 jobs transferred over as a result, and expects to announce the sale of another 16 stores soon.
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