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HEART OF ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY HIGHLIGHTS BENEFITS OF SHOPPING LOCALLY
Shoppers can offset the rising cost of food by shopping locally and saving fuel costs, says the Heart of England Co-operative Society.
After a survey showed that shoppers are cutting back on trips to out-of-town shops because of rising petrol costs, the Society says that never before has your local shop been more important.
A survey by Experian showed that in June the number of people visiting out of townshopping centres fell by 5.8 per cent compared to June last year, with people preferring to save money and shop nearer to home.
The Society, which has 33 stores at the heart of communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and south Leicestershire, says people can buy all they need from their local store. They can save money as prices are the lowest around and shoppers need not travel far to get to their local store.
Ali Kurji, Chief Executive of the Society, said: “With the rising costs of fuel and food, most families are feeling the pinch.
“But simple measures can help people to stay within their budget. Our fully-stocked shops can provide people with all of their needs, and as we are truly local, they save money by not having far to travel to our shops.
“In these times of economic uncertainty and climate change, shopping locally is more important than ever. We are glad that we are in a position to help our customers save money and reduce carbon emissions.”
Earlier this year the company, the region’s largest independent retailer, reported a remarkable financial performance, achieving a trading profit of £4 million – a 14.2 per cent increase on the previous year.
The group’s annual turnover reached £77.6 million, equating to a 3.3 per cent increase on a like-for-like basis the previous year.
The Food Division was particularly successful during the year with a number of food stores recording double-digit increases in sales – reflecting the range and quality offered in-store and people’s desire to shop locally.
The Society is in the midst of a significant investment programme to improve and upgrade its food, non-food and funeral branches throughout the network. Millions of pounds have been ploughed into upgrading food stores, with £668,000-worth of improvements having been recently made to the Norman Place Road Lateshop in Coundon, Coventry. The Society has also recently invested £1.3million improving the Lateshop in New Bilton, Rugby, and Balsall Common Foodcentre.
Work will shortly commence on the Foodstore Lateshop in the village of Barwell. As part of the revamp the store is set to receive new refrigeration, floorings, ceilings, fixtures and fittings. The new lighting and refrigeration will be more environmentally friendly. There will also be a range of improvements to staff facilities, and improvements within the warehouse will result in an improved supply of a wider range of fresh foods for customers. The investment in the project is £670,000. |
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