£1m refurbishment will see Colchester Co-op grow (From Gazette)

£1m refurbishment will see Colchester Co-op grow

7:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News By Wendy Brading

A £1MILLION investment is being made at a Colchester supermarket.

The East of England Co-op store in Mersea Road is set to increase in size as it undergoes a refurbishment.

The store was closed on Saturday as workers moved in.

When it reopens tomorrow, it will be about 50 per cent bigger than it was, prior to the work.

The shop floor is being extended by 2,000 sq ft into a stockroom and being completely refitted.

Customers using the store will get extra choice and extended ranges, including more fresh produce and more locally sourced food and drink.

New features in the store will include an electrical and white goods section and a membership office. It is the Co-op’s second major investment in a Colchester store in two years.

Last year, the company opened a new store in Wimpole Road, on the site of the former Co-op dairy.

In total, just over £3million has been invested by the company in food, travel, optical, mobility and funeral branches over the past year.

It has plans for a further investment of £1.5million in Colchester over the next year. Roger Grosvenor, group general manager for trading, denied the investment was in response to the bids for new Tesco stores in the area.

He said: “The East of England Co-operative Society is always investing in our stores and branches and this is part of a continuing programme of projects to improve services for our members and customers.”

Tesco is looking to open five new branches in north Essex.

The company is working on an Express store at the former Cherry Tree Garage, in Mersea Road, Colchester. It also wants to open a store in Butt Road, Colchester, has permission for a branch in Manningtree, and is planning shops in Halstead and Walton.