The Co-op supermarket is slimming down its shelves to a smaller, more focused range due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The supermarket chain, which is the seventh biggest in the UK, revealed the plans in a letter, which has been seen by industry publication The Grocer. Suppliers to the Co-Op 's 2,500 stores have been told to stand by for news of whether their products will be given space in the new, simplified range, with warnings that some will lose their shelf space, a process known as delisting.
The letter said shopper habits and choices have continually changed throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so, according to a report in Grocery Gazette.
Read more: Tesco reduces size of its ready meals - but some are more expensive than before
“One of our key aims is to deliver a simplified, focused range across all of our stores, and as part of this we’re looking at reducing our product range to meet these requirements,” the letter said. The change has come about because the Co-Op said it wanted to “drive more accurate replenishment and reduce waste while continuing to deliver key needs in a convenient way to our customers, something which we are already working on with the support of many of our suppliers. In order to meet our targets we are reviewing where efficiencies can be made across many of our categories, ultimately meaning that some products will be delisted as we focus on the key needs of our customers.”
Currently, Co-op stocks 15,000 lines, 20% of which are the supermarket's own brand. A Co-op spokeswoman said: “As a convenience retailer, we have less shelf space than larger supermarkets so continue to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and consistently review our product offering. But we continue to develop and launch new and exciting products, to ensure our range meets the needs and demands of our customers.”
Co-op also announced last month that it will be making around 400 head office roles redundant due to the current “tough trading environment”. Most of the redundancies are expected to be made from within the retailer’s 4,000-strong customer support centre team, which is based at its Angel Square headquarters in Manchester.
However, it is expanding its rapid delivery service, with an extra 110 stores due to become available via Deliveroo this year, bringing the total to 1,400. The group announced it had expanded its partnership with Deliveroo for another three years earlier this week.
“Co-op is one of Deliveroo’s largest on-demand grocery partnerships and it continues to be a huge success,” Deliveroo chief business officer for Carlo Mocci said. "We’re delighted to be extending our partnership and bringing more choice into people’s lives and easier ways to shop.”
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