Lincolnshire Co-op joins the 100 club as retailer opens new £2.5 million food store in Coates near Peterborough

Lincolnshire Co-op has opened its 100th food store. The £2.5 million outlet on March Road in Cambridgeshire is serving the Coates community and surrounding areas.

In a LinkedIn post, the retailer said: “With our trading area continuing to grow beyond Lincolnshire, we’ve introduced new branding and signage to highlight our hyper-local community-focused approach. This will be rolled out as part of a major cyclical refresh programme, including a ‘Your Community Shop’ fascia at the front of the store and end of aisle advertisements.”

It added: “We’ve also installed a community unit that has a noticeboard where posts can be put up about events happening in the local area, soft plastics and batteries can be recycled, and donations can be made towards the local food bank, Whittlesey Emergency Food Aid.”

Steve Leach, Chief Operating Officer, added: “Over 100 new members already signed up on day one and amazingly positive feedback. Team have done a great job and the store looks fantastic. Here’s to a strong first week and another community benefiting from all that we have to offer.”

Trust Retail

Lincolnshire Co-op has partnered with Trust Retail, a Trust Payments company, to implement an inventory management system.

The aim here is to increase stock file accuracy to drive sales while simultaneously helping to optimise stock levels across all 99 food store and filling station outlets across greater Lincolnshire.

The system will provide accurate stock information for quick commerce customers purchasing through third-party platforms such as Just Eat and Uber Eats. Additionally, it will reduce store workload by automating manual processes and simplify operations through technology that integrates with existing systems.

Implementation is underway, with plans for an initial launch across all locations in early 2026.

Andy Warman, Chief Transformation Officer, Lincolnshire Co-op, comments: "We're happy to partner with Trust Retail to enhance our in-store inventory management capabilities, which will help us continue our progress towards delivering our Purpose Beyond Profit 2030 strategy.”

“This solution will not only increase our stock file accuracy to drive sales and reduce waste but also simplify operations and reduce workload for our store teams so they can focus on our customers. As a co-operative focused on delivering value to our members and communities, ensuring we have optimal stock levels is crucial to our continued success."

Mike Dotson, Managing Director at Trust Retail, says: " We're delighted that Lincolnshire Co-op has chosen Trust Retail's Inventory Management solution to modernise their stock management processes. We are thrilled to be part of the much larger transformation journey that Lincolnshire Co-op is embarking on.”

“This partnership further strengthens our position in the Co-operative retail space, where our solutions are already delivering significant value. We look forward to supporting them in achieving greater efficiency and enhanced customer satisfaction through improved stock accuracy."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.