Royton Co-op jobs saved

TWENTY-eight jobs at the Co-op store in Royton have been saved.

Haldanes Stores, a new supermarket company launched less than two months ago, has acquired the Market Square premises and other outlets throughout England and Wales.

The acquisition brings to an end several months of uncertainty for the 28 staff at Royton’s Co-op branch.

“All 28 jobs are being guaranteed,” said Haldanes chairman Arthur Harris, from his headquarters in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

The latest acquisitions means an expansion by nearly 45 per cent for the firm. The additional tranche of stores adds eight to the 18 already acquired, comprising 15 in Scotland and three in England.

The acquisitions came about after The Co-operative Group agreed with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to offload 133 outlets in centres where it already had stores following its takeover of Somerfield last March.

Of the eight new acquisitions, half are still trading as Somerfield, the other four as The Co-op, and stretch from Cumbria to Oxfordshire.

A total of 245 staff are employed at the eight stores, and, says Mr Harris, all jobs will be assured in the takeover. These outlets will reopen as Haldanes between March 17 and April 20, each after a few days of closure for refurbishment and rebranding.

Haldanes will source more than a third of its food and drink from local producers and suppliers at each of its nationwide stores.