Co-op Group to take over 300 shops in huge merger deal

• The Co-op Group is planning a significant expansion of its retail and funeral services through a proposed takeover of Southern Co-op.
• The acquisition would encompass approximately 300 of Southern Co-op’s food, funeral, and Starbucks outlets, alongside its three crematoria, marking the Co-op Group's re-entry into the crematoria market.
• The deal aims to integrate Southern Co-op’s 300,000 members into the Co-op Group's existing seven million-strong membership, creating new opportunities and a stronger combined entity.
• Southern Co-op's chief executive stated the merger would secure the business's future, which has recently faced falling profits and higher costs.
• The merger, conducted via a 'transfer of engagements', requires approval from members and regulators, with completion anticipated in the final quarter of 2026.

IN FULL

Co-op set to take over hundreds of UK shops amid huge shake-up