[In the picture] Co-op launches convenience store chain in UK

British supermarket chain Co-op is joining the growing market for on-the-go consumption with its new store concept, Co-op On The Go. The chain aims to open hundreds of these mini-stores in the next two to three years.

“Dark trading” at closing time

The new concept is, according to Co-op, unique for the United Kingdom. With a sales area of 55 to 90 sqm, the stores are barely a quarter of the size of regular Co-op stores. Their product range is focused on immediate consumption: from breakfast to hot evening meals, including freshly baked pizzas.

The stores are open from 7 to 19 h, catering to commuters and city dwellers. In a subsequent phase, the stores will switch to so-called ‘dark trading’ in the evening hours: after the trading hours for physical sales, they would be open to fast delivery of items such as pizzas via Co-op’s Quick Commerce platform.

The first location opened its doors yesterday in Solihull (near Birmingham), with fifteen more locations planned for the coming months and even several hundreds in the next two to three years. The stores will appear in new locations, but also in place of some existing locations and sometimes as separate stores within existing supermarkets.