Co-op reopens Stornoway store following renovation project

Co-op has relaunched its Stornoway store on MacAulay Road, following a multi-million-pound renovation project. 

The near 22,000 sq ft store, which supports over 100 local jobs, is the largest in the group’s estate and has a focus on serving and supporting the island community.

The renovation programme commenced in August and has given the store a fresh new-look for chilled produce, fruit, vegetables and dairy. 

The café has also been transformed and modernised, while the store now has two new Costa coffee dispensers and a fresh orange juice machine installed.

At the back of the store, larger and more efficient cold rooms and storage have been added to further improve operational capacity, availability and resilience – particularly during the winter months when adverse weather can affect ferry crossings.

Refrigeration throughout the store now includes a heat recovery system to warm the store by recycling the heat generated by the system.

Steven Cooper, store manager of Co-op Stornoway, said: “We have had a great response, and are delighted to have had the opportunity to carry out such a significant investment to transform the store. 

“Our aim is to operate at the heart of local life – and, we are very proud to serve and support the Island community. We have worked to create the range, choice and added services to deliver a really compelling offer for customers, with a focus on delivering member-value so that the people who own our business, our members, benefit every time they shop.”