New community-centred convenience store opens in Scartho

A £2m Lincolnshire Co-op food store on Waltham Road in Scartho has opened its doors for the first time, creating 13 new jobs.

Locals, Yvonne Digby and her husband Malcolm, were surprised by an official ribbon cutting ceremony, after her son-in-law got in touch to say that Yvonne is a loyal Lincolnshire Co-op member and was due to celebrate her 80^th birthday days after the store’s opening.

When the pair pulled up at the store, Yvonne was surprised with some early birthday gifts, including flowers, her favourite Co-op own-brand lemonade, and a card with £80 worth of vouchers.

After Yvonne had cut the ribbon and had some photos with the team, she enjoyed a tour of the store, led by Manager Mark Rowston.

She said: “I live locally, so I’ve been watching the progress as they’ve been building the new food store. When we pulled up to such a big surprise, I was so shocked, but it was absolutely lovely.

“I love Lincolnshire Co-op because it’s so handy, the food stores offer a great range of products and I can get everything I need without going too far!

“As a member, I really like being able to vote for local groups and good causes to support through Community Champions, too.”

By signing up to Lincolnshire Co-op’s membership scheme, customers will earn cashback on their shopping and can get exclusive access to offers and events.

When a member uses their dividend card in store, donations are made to local groups through the society’s Community Champions scheme.

Scartho Food Store’s Community Champions will be Grimsby and Cleethorpes Scout Council and Springfield Primary Academy in Grimsby.

Lawrence Brown, District Treasurer at Grimsby and Cleethorpes District Scouts, said: “We are extremely appreciative of Lincolnshire Co-op for their Community Champions scheme.

“Any funds raised at Scartho Food Store will help us continue to ensure scouting remains vibrant, active and fun for all involved.”

Tina Storr, Principal of Springfield Primary Academy, said: “At Springfield we pride ourselves on being able to offer all our children a memorable experience, and any money raised from the local community will support us in doing so.

“I would like to say thank you to Lincolnshire Co-op, from all the staff and pupils; we greatly appreciate any support received from the local community.”

Customers are also able to donate essential items to We Are ONE Food Bank which operates in Grimsby and the surrounding area, through the food bank collection point in-store.

Kay Jones, Trustee at We are ONE, said: “We are so grateful to be linked with the new Scartho Food Store, amongst other local Lincolnshire Co-op Food Stores. This will support us in helping people who are most in need and suffering from food poverty.

“Lincolnshire Co-op have been so generous, and their customers’ support of our foodbank is invaluable.”

Behind the scenes, sustainable solutions have been embedded to make the new store as environmentally friendly as possible.

This includes the latest CO2 type refrigeration, including fridge doors and LED lighting throughout the store all connected to a building management system. There is a refillable water station and soft plastics recycling is available instore.

Will Tucker, Sustainability Advisor at Lincolnshire Co-op, said: “We’re committed to limiting our impact on the environment by driving sustainability in all aspects of our operations.

“Stores like Scartho provide a great demonstration of this commitment and the actions we can take to reduce our impact. Sustainability is in every step!”

There is a variety of produce and services in-store, including Costa Coffee Express and Tango Ice Blast machines, freshly baked bread, a variety of meal options including COOK frozen meals, fresh fruit and veg, chilled wine and beer, and more.

The society offers a Love Local range which supports local businesses. Shoppers can find locally sourced produce including Chapman’s fishcakes, Alfred Enderby haddock and salmon from Grimsby and Mr Hudda’s curry pasta from Scunthorpe.

The retailer is also running offers such as two ready meals for £6, five freezer faves for £6, and a curry meal deal, where shoppers can select two curry mains, two sides, and a drink, for £10.

Mark Rowston, Food Store Manager, said: “We’ve been really pleased to have such high footfall on our opening day, and lots of positive feedback from our customers.

“It was great to get to know Yvonne and Malcolm, who I’m sure will become some of our regulars. We were really pleased to be able to celebrate Yvonne’s birthday with her and have her cut the ribbon!”