Roadchef has unveiled a high-end Co-op fascia at its Norton Canes services on the M6 Toll ahead of a roll out by Co-op Wholesale to what it says will be a limited number of forecourt and convenience outlets.
Speaking at the June 5 official opening of the store – a debut for the Co-op brand in motorway services – Co-op Wholesale’s managing director Katie Secretan said the ‘& Co-op’ format will be introduced at select locations.
“It will not be rolled out everywhere. It will be held in very high regard, for strategic partnerships,” she said, highlighting that the initiative is one of the most significant developments spun out of Co-op Wholesale, launched in April as the new name for Nisa’s wholesale operations.
Others trying the new-look fascia, designed to enable ”select partners to further leverage” the Co-op brand, include forecourt operator Tom Highland of the Highland Group at his St Neots, St Ives and Childerley Gate sites in Cambridgeshire, and convenience chain Proudfoot Group.
The Norton Canes opening is part of Co-op’s new partnership with Roadchef covering an initial eight sites that were previously operated as Spar convenience stores. That 10-year contract finished at the end of May, and the move to Co-op Wholesale essentially gives the outlets a stronger element of food-for-later.
At Norton Canes, which is between junctions T6 and T7 on the toll motorway near Cannock in Staffordshire, there is an extensive line-up of upmarket lines like sushi and watermelon slices in the food-for-now range, and the Co-op Irresistible premium brand is prominent in the meals for tonight chiller, and the bakery, bagged snacks and confectionery fixtures.
The 1,500sq ft outlet offers foodie favourites such as feta cheese and guacamole, as well as a Co-op Global Menu range of snacks such as Gunpowder Chicken wraps. Despite being a relatively small store, it stocks almond, oat and soya alternative milk.
There are two Cook freezers, and a four-door chiller containing meals for tonight or ingredients for them. Around 60% of the 1,500 SKUs are Co-op branded.
There is a strong fresh offering with almost a wall and a half of chillers, and a separate gondola end display of fresh fruit. And there is a Costa coffee and F’Real milkshake/smoothie machine near the entrance, together with a small everyday babycare, toiletry and household essentials section next to the checkout area of three tills, two of which operate as self-checkouts.
Despite design touches such as pendulum lighting at the checkout, an exposed black ceiling and faux brickwork walls, it is the product on shelf rather than store design or other features that provides the wow factor.
Customers are tempted with everything from food-to-go items such as Hand Finished Egg, Truffle Mayo & Black Pepper Sando sandwiches or a Chipotle & Parmigiano Reggiano Chicken Caesar Salad, to a Wood Fired Salami Calabrese pizza and Ranch Steaks with wild garlic and herb butter to make at home.
The quality of the food is likely to create that impulse element that will boost basket spend, believes Roadchef’s chief executive Tim Gittins.
“We’ll have a scenario where somebody will come in for food for now and leave with dinner for tonight, as well as flowers, and alcohol, when we have a liquor licence at this site,” he said.
“We want to move into not just food-on-the-move, but food-for-later, with a range of ready-meals, pizza, and deli items.”
He added: “We have ambitions to take this brand further. The Co-op brand has a high customer resonance.”
Co-op Wholesale plans to launch its ‘& Co-op’ fascia fully to the market later in 2025, sitting alongside the Nisa and ‘Proud to stock Co-op’ fascia options.
