Central England Co-op has announced that it is rolling out the installation of plastic screens at its stores to keep colleagues and customers safe.
The retailer, which has over 240 food stores across 16 counties including several in Swindon, has also revealed that it is bringing forward its annual bonus and doubling its colleague to discount to say ‘thank you’ for those who have gone above and beyond to support their communities.
Across its stores it has hired over 500 new staff since the weekend to support stores and ensure shelves continue to be stocked with food and essentials.
Stores will also be closed early from 8pm to allow colleagues to clean and replenish stores as well as get home to see their families.
The store is continuing to ask people to show ‘care, compassion and respect’ to its colleagues who are going above and beyond.
This has also been supplemented with a range of measures to ensure social distancing guidelines are adhered to -
Apart from the plastic screens at all till points rollout, the retailer has also announced that bread from its in-store bakery will no longer be unwrapped.
Central England Co-op Chief Executive Debbie Robinson said: “Our colleagues and key workers are doing everything they can to ensure our communities continue to be supported during this uncertain time.
“In the spirit of co-operation, we wanted to say thank you by giving them a little something to showcase our gratitude for their hard work and dedication.
“We also wanted to say welcome to all of our new colleagues who have joined in the past few days. Thank you and good luck in your new roles.
“If you’re able to say thank you to our colleagues and to key workers when you see them, we are sure they would really appreciate the support at this time. Please be kind and respectful to everyone around you.”
The retailer recently launched a range of measures to help those whose lives have been affected by the Coronavirus.
This includes:
- An urgent food bank appeal to support its charity partners after they reported a major fall in donations at the same time as a spike in demand
- Donations to FareShare Midlands and Dementia UK to allow them to continue their vital community services
In its food stores, the Society also has in place a temporary limit of two of every product to help maintain stock levels but has reassured customers that there are no issues with its robust supply lines and that shops are getting daily delivers.
People can keep up to date with what is happening in their local community by visiting a dedicated online hub at www.centralengland.coop/updates
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