The cooperative has announced plans to open or renovate 50 branches before Christmas. This represents a major investment push as it continues to recover from the impact of a devastating cyberattack earlier this year.
The retailer said the latest openings would take its total number of new openings and refurbishments this financial year to over 200, representing an investment of over £200 million across its estate.
The group, which has 6.9 million members and runs more than 2,300 grocery stores nationwide, said the program underlined its “confidence in the future of the high street” – but warned that long-promised business rates reform was urgently needed to sustain investment.
“We are investing in stores and communities across the UK because we believe in the future of the high street,” said Shirine Khoury-Haq, chief executive of the Co-op Group.
“But sustainable growth requires certainty. Business rates reform is essential if retailers – particularly the 99% who run small shops – plan with confidence, protect jobs and keep local economies running.”
New shops and renovations
The co-op confirmed that its latest launch includes:
• 14 brand new stores, including one at the Brent Cross Town development in London – where it will become the first permanent retailer on the site.
• Five “on-the-go” micro-format stores designed for busy urban locations.
• Opening of a new franchise store at Lancaster University.
• The remaining stores are reopenings of previously closed locations following extensive renovations with updated designs and expanded product assortments.
The move comes as the co-operative works to recover from a large-scale cyberattack in April, which it said would hit annual profits by around £120m and result in lost sales of £206m.
Hackers reportedly posed as employees to gain access to internal systems and stole data for all members. While the attackers managed to copy a company file, they were unable to install ransomware or cause major damage to the retailer’s digital infrastructure.
The incident left some stores temporarily empty shelves and disrupted supply chains, prompting the group to accelerate investments in digital resilience and security.
Ahead of the autumn budget, the Co-op has joined a chorus of major British retailers urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deliver property tax reform.
Business rates – which are based on the value of commercial property – have long been criticized by chain stores and small shops as outdated and unfair to brick-and-mortar stores.
Khoury-Haq said the government had “an opportunity to do its part” by modernizing the system to make high street investments viable.
“Co-op shows what is possible when companies get involved in communities,” she said. “The Government now has the opportunity in the Autumn Budget to play its part by delivering long-promised reforms and giving every retailer, from small to large, the stability to invest and grow.”
The co-op’s expansion efforts are providing a rare boost of optimism for Britain’s struggling retail sector, which continues to struggle with rising operating costs, inflation and weakened consumer confidence.
Analysts say the retailer’s move shows the resilience of community-focused convenience models and underscores the continued relevance of physical retail spaces even as online competition increases.
If successful, the scheme could help the co-operative regain lost ground and strengthen its reputation as one of the UK’s most community-focused retailers – proving that the high street still has room to grow, even in a challenging environment.
