Customers at the East of England Co-operative Society’s Meredith Road Food Store in Ipswich now have the added convenience of buying their groceries and picking up their pharmacy needs all on one site following a major refurbishment to the store.

With a newly located pharmacy in the store there’s a qualified pharmacist on hand to help with advice on effective medicines to treat minor ailments.  The pharmacist can also assist with information on healthy living and give guidance on how to take prescribed medication within the privacy of a consulting room in the store.

The store also has new East of England Co-operative branding and graphics, new fixtures and fittings, and incorporates new energy efficient lighting and energy efficient refrigeration units that will help save on running costs and also aid carbon reduction.

John Clark, Area Manager, said: “We have had a great response already from our customers.  The refurbishment has totally transformed the store and my colleagues are delighted with the improvements. 

“As a community retailer we want to ensure we’re giving our customers what they want so we have taken the opportunity to improve the range of products we have available and have also installed a new ‘Deli to Go’.  Having the pharmacy on hand is proving very useful.”

The £360,000 investment in the Meredith Road store is part of an ongoing development programme across the Society’s trading area involving refurbishment and rebranding of existing stores and the building of several new stores across the region.

Last year, the Society spent a record £27.7 million on its capital development programme, which has been entirely self-funded and it remains in the enviable position of being able to continue modernizing its operations without the need for borrowing.

PHOTO: East of England Co-op Pharmacy colleagues in their new location.

Note to Editors:

• The East of England Co-operative Society is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and has over 200 trading outlets which are located in 73 towns and villages, plus the three regional centres of Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester.

• The Society’s diverse business activities include: food stores and supermarkets, travel, pharmacy, optical and funeral branches, petrol forecourts and motor dealerships.  
 
Miriam Harrup, Communications Manager, East of England Co-operative Society
Wherstead Park, The Street, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2BJ
email: m.harrup@eastofengland.coop