East of England Co-op has posted an underlying trading profit of £2m for 2025, up £1m year-on-year, as it hailed the resilience of its stores, suppliers and colleagues during a difficult trading period.

The independent regional co-operative said its performance came despite rising operating costs and disruption linked to the cyber incident at Co-op Group, which affected deliveries to its stores.

East of England Co-op chief executive Andy Rigby said: “Over the 45 years I’ve been in the retail business, last year was one of the most challenging I’ve experienced in the food retail space.

“But, against the odds, we’ve delivered an underlying trading profit of £2 million.”

He added: “We were faced with the impact of the cyber incident on Co-op Group, affecting deliveries to our stores, however our incredible local suppliers and colleagues came together brilliantly to minimise the impact to our customers.

“The way we weathered this storm to deliver a 100% increase in profit is testament to our resilience. We’re a proudly independent local retailer, deeply committed to serving communities in the place we call home, the East of England.”

It said highlights during the year included the opening of its first fully cashless store at Ipswich train station, which was recognised by the Institute of Grocery Distribution as one of 25 “stores of the future” worldwide.

East of England Co-op chief finance officer James Norman said the business was operating in a “difficult retail trading environment”, with pressures being felt across the wider sector.

“This is a nationwide challenge driven by rising operating costs in areas such as business rates, employment costs and energy prices as well as global economic uncertainty,” he said.

“We’ve worked hard this year to offset these challenges with measures such as careful investment in our property portfolio and a continued strategic focus on the right products in our Food business.”

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, Rigby said the co-op would focus on expanding and evolving its membership proposition.

“A key priority for us next year will be expanding and evolving our membership proposition, focusing on delivering a more personalised offer that truly benefits our current members as well as attracting new ones,” he said.

“I’m absolutely committed to serving our local community and I’d like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed to the growth of our co-op throughout 2025.

“I’d like to specifically thank our members and customers for trusting us with your business and for your continued support — we really appreciate it and are proud to be of service to you now and in the future.”

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