OurCoop has opened four new FoodCoop stores since its formation in January, which is part of a £9.3m investment in expanding its footprint to support local communities across the UK.

The new stores opened in Leicestershire (Desford), Buckinghamshire (Wavendon), Gloucestershire (Leckhampton), and Merseyside (Rainhill).

The FoodCoop stores have fresh produce and local ranges as well as eco-friendly features, including solar panels, bird boxes, EV charging stations and bike maintenance stations.

The store expansion has created over 50 jobs across the six locations and established new retail locations aimed at driving footfall and repeat visits.

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Debbie Robinson, CEO at OurCoop, said: “As a co-operative business, making a positive difference is at the heart of how we operate. Our scale and breadth mean we can support our members every day and throughout life’s big moments, generating greater value through our businesses and reinvesting for the long-term.

“The opening of these new stores will only support this further, deepening our roots in our local towns and villages for years to come.”

OurCoop is a merged business of three established co-operatives: Central Co-op, Midcounties Co-operative and Chelmsford Star Co-operative.

This move aimed to create a major co-operative which has more benefits for members, colleagues and communities.

OurCoop currently operates a combined estate of nearly 500 stores and has a membership base of over 1m members.