Major supermarket chain to open 18 new stores

A POPULAR supermarket will be opening 18 new stores and giving lots of current stores a makeover in the first few months of the year.

The retail giant said the new locations are thanks to a “transformative investment” and it hopes to “enhance” the shopping experience.

Co-op will open the first of its new stores in Willowbrook Park, Didcot in Oxfordshire.

Renovated stores will soon follow in Coventry and London.

The shops will offer shoppers all the essentials and more with coffee, baked goods alongside fresh groceries.

On top of its regular features, the opening and reopening stores boast a host of new services.

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These include payment services, parcel collection and returns, and online home delivery for groceries.

Customers will also be able to take their harder to recycle items to a Co-op, reports the Express.

These include crisp packets, bread bags, lids from ready meals, biscuit wrappers and pet food pouches.

Kate McCrae, Co-op’s operations director, said: “We’re focused on creating local stores which are more than just a shop, they are a hub locally that contribute to local life and conveniently meet the needs of communities.

“Our stores have a focus on quality products and value for our members and customers, with a great range of deals and promotions on the items shoppers want to buy.”

She continued: “I’m delighted to see our first new store of 2026 open in Oxfordshire, as we start 2026 with an active store opening programme to increase and enhance Co-op’s presence in high streets and communities all across the UK.”

The company added that currently around 86 per cent of the UK population can order Co-op groceries online through their online shopping website or with partners such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats.