Stornoway Co-op

The Co-op has confirmed plans to take over the Iceland supermarket premises in Stornoway.

The building - which is owned by the council and leased out - will undergo a revamp and reopen under Co-op branding.

A Co-op spokeswoman said: “We are pleased to have worked with Retail Hebrides Ltd to agree the purchase of its Iceland store in Stornoway.

“Our acquisition and refit programme forms a fundamental part of our food strategy and our aim is for stores to be at the heart of local life, creating stronger communities and offering great quality products conveniently, when and where our members and customers need them.

“Iceland staff will transfer over to the Co-op and we will be relocating our existing Cromwell Street Co-op and team into this site in order to provide a more modern convenience store to better serve the needs of the local community.

“We will be speaking with both teams over the next few weeks and working hard to amalgamate them across the island’s two Co-ops.”

Iceland Stornoway operated as a franchise of the well known convenience store chain.

It opened two years ago following renovation work to the former Wee W store in Cromwell Street.

The Co-op had been eyeing expansion in Stornoway amid plans to open 100 new stores across the country as part of a major investment programme.

The company said it was always looking for new opportunities to open in locations at the heart of communities in the Highlands and Islands.

Last year, it opened a new £6 million distribution depot in Inverness Airport Business Park to service its extensive network across the north of Scotland.

Co-op confirms Iceland deal

20 September 2019