Southern Co-op’s 140-store shake up comes with a £7 delivery deal

Southern Co-op launches huge 140-store shake-up with £7-off delivery deal

Southern Co-op has announced a major shake-up across 140 stores as it expands a rapid grocery delivery service for shoppers.

The retailer is rolling out a new partnership with Snappy Shopper, allowing customers to order groceries from their local Southern Co-op branch and have them delivered in as little as 30 to 40 minutes.

The move will cover around 80% of Southern Co-op’s food store estate and marks a huge expansion of a smaller trial first launched in Portsmouth and Chichester back in 2020.

Customers living within roughly two miles of participating stores will be able to order everything from fresh food and household essentials to locally sourced products through the app-based service.

Southern Co-op said the delivery radius is also expected to increase in the coming months, as reported by Whats The Jam.

To launch the service, new users will be offered £7 off their first two Southern Co-op orders through Snappy Shopper, while existing customers can get free delivery on orders over £35.

Snappy shopper app. (Jam Press/Southern Co-op/Snappy Shopper)

The retailer said the expansion is aimed at making shopping easier for busy households and people unable to easily visit stores in person.

Anuj Christi, Head of Store Operations at Southern Co-op, said the move was designed to make local shopping “fit around” customers’ lives.

He said: “Whether it’s helping someone who can’t easily get to the shop, or simply saving time for busy households, this service builds on the different ways people can shop with us while keeping that important local connection.”

Southern Co-op already offers home delivery through Deliveroo, but said the Snappy Shopper partnership gives customers more flexibility in how they order groceries.

The retailer has also introduced new order management technology, allowing it to combine deliveries from multiple delivery partners under one system as it looks to expand its online shopping capabilities further.

The announcement comes as Southern Co-op edges closer to a major merger with the Co-op Group.

Members recently voted overwhelmingly in favour of proposals to join forces with the national retailer, with more than 97% backing the plans at a special meeting.

If approved at a second vote later this month, around 300,000 Southern Co-op members would eventually join the Co-op Group’s existing seven million members as part of an enlarged business.

Southern Co-op currently operates more than 300 food stores, funeral branches and Starbucks cafés across southern England.

Full list of stores