Now established as “Britain’s biggest farmer”, Re:fresh award winner The Co-operative is set to position itself as a community retailer offering the best-quality fresh produce, as it becomes the fifth-largest multiple in the UK.
Debbie Robinson, director of food retail marketing at The Co-operative, told Re:fresh Conference delegates last week that out of both The Co-op and Somerfield’s customers, good-quality fresh produce was still the top priority, despite the economic downturn.
She said: “Good fresh food is the most important for both groups of customers, as well as value for money… We are Britain’s favourite community retailer and have a reputation for providing choice for customers - we take that very seriously.”
Robinson maintained that the location of The Co-op’s stores is essential to the retailer’s success, with most of them being in “the heart of the community”. She said: “We have a great opportunity to take advantage of people buying produce after work and around the evening meal. We have a reputation to uphold of reliably meeting customer needs day in, day out.”
Robinson also told delegates not to underestimate the opportunities ahead within The Co-op because of the recession. “Our own brands are growing,” she said. “Two per cent of our brand is Simply Value, 88 per cent is the mainstay and 10 per cent is high-end brand Truly Irresistible, but there is still massive growth in [the latter].
“Don’t think that everyone will trade down. We should not be giving up on that category.”
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