The Co-op has agreed a deal which could see it serving seven million students with food products and services over the next five years.
The National Union of Students (NUS), which represents 600 members across the UK, has signed the Co-op as its exclusive retail grocery store franchise partner, which could see the society’s stores open in NUS member locations.
Earlier this year, the Co-op started developing franchise stores for the first time as part of its plan to expand its reach further across the UK. There are now seven franchise stores operating, with four based at Universities. The new deal means it can offer Co-op franchise opportunities to NUS members’ campuses.
The new stores would be run and managed independently by individual NUS members and will give access to a tailored range of 2,500 Co-op own brand products, including extensive fairtrade, free-from and vegan options.
Martin Rogers, Head of New Channels at Co-op, said: “We are delighted to partner with a like-minded organisation, like NUS, and to support the health, wellbeing and employment of students.
“We’ve a strong track-record in delivering for our customers and we know that when we work together to achieve a common purpose, great things can happen. This is a pioneering opportunity to grow our brand, share our values, and get our products into the hands of the next generation of customers and members.”
The Co-op already provides a special discount to students through its membership scheme.
Erica Ramos, Vice President Union Development at the National Union of Students, said: “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to strike this agreement with one of our long-standing partners and look forward to seeing these new franchises taken up by our members.”
