Salford 's newest Co-op store has been officially opened by Coronation Street's Kirk Sutherland.
The shop, which spans 5,300 sq ft, has taken over the former Booths site at MediaCityUK, filling the empty lot left behind after the posh supermarket chain closed its doors in early 2021. The previous store shut citing lower footfall after people began working from home as one of the reasons for closure.
Coronation Street star Andy Whyment, who plays Kirk Sutherland on the cobbles, officially opened the store on Thursday, May 26, as Co-op have a partnership with ITV - which sees the fictional Weatherfield served by a Co-op as part of the show's set.
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Discounting the Co-op on the cobbles, there are now six of the chain's stores in Salford. The Media City site will be powered completely by renewable electricity, with 20 new jobs created as part of the opening.
The store will offer a variety of goods, with several local suppliers such as Seven Brothers stocking products for sale. Ever Ground, Co-op's Fairtrade coffee dispenser, and Yo Sushi will also be on offer, alongside bakery items and hot food - including freshly baked pizzas made in store.
Shoppers will also be able to collect parcels from John Lewis, Amazon, and DPD, with Click and Collect capabilities for customers to buy their shopping online before picking it up from the store. A free ATM will also be available on site.
Co-op will be sharing the former Booths unit with Greggs, as the bakery store will be opening a 1,500 sq ft store in the unit in the next few months, creating 25 new jobs. The chain already has 102 stores across the region.
Simon Williams, who has worked for Co-op for almost 30 years, will be the store manager at the new site. He said: "We have had a great response. We are delighted to have the opportunity to serve MediaCity and welcome the community into their Co-op.
"Our aim is to operate at the heart of local life, whether it is food-to-go, something for the evening meal, parcel collections or online delivery and click & collect we have been working to develop the range, choice, products and added services which will create a really compelling offer to serve MediaCity, conveniently.”
The new store will also help shoppers to be more environmentally friendly, featuring a recycle unit for soft plastics, with the ability to recycle crisp packets, bread bags, yoghurt pots, biscuit wrappers and pet food pouches in store. A free water refill station will also be in place.
Instead of handing out the usual single-use plastic bags to shoppers who forget to bring their own, the store will have compostable carrier bags available. These were first trialled by the brand in Salford, before being rolled out to stores across the country.
Stephen Wild, managing director of MediaCity said: “The opening of the Co-op in MediaCity is an essential and fantastic addition to the convenience offering here. As we continue to welcome more workers, students and visitors back to our creative destination and as MediaCity’s expansion plans continue at a pace, the Co-op will undoubtedly become the cornerstone of our community. We look forward to supporting them in their success here.”
The new Co-op store will be open from 6am-11pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am-5pm on Sundays.
