East of England Co-op's West Mersea Food store to undergo major refurbishment

The East of England Co-op has announced its West Mersea Food store is set for major refurbishment as part of its inclusion in the retailer’s ongoing refurbishment programme. As part of the refurbishment, part of the store will also be transformed into a bookable space for local charities and community groups to host fundraising activities, support sessions and services. 

The work needed to complete this major refurbishment will take place between January and March 2026.  

To ensure the community can continue to access services, the retailer is keeping full closures to a minimum. In phase one, the store will close at 4pm on Sunday 4 January for two weeks whilst essential works are completed. It will then reopen Saturday 17 January, offering a range of essentials whilst the refurbishment continues. 

In March, the store will again close for the final phase of refurbishments before reopening fully at the end of the month. 

Once fully refurbished, the store will feature an extended range of food-to-go services and a perfectly chilled beer and wine section. It will also feature the East of England Co-op's first dedicated community space across its Food stores, supporting its commitment to improving community cohesion and integration.  

To ensure the store is as energy efficient as possible, the retailer will be making improvements to the refrigeration and lighting, as well as installing solar panels to the roof of the Food store. These sustainability improvements have seen reductions in energy consumption by as much as 55% in other recently opened and refurbished East of England Co-op Food stores. 

Chief Executive Officer for the East of England Co-op, Andy Rigby said: “We’re very excited to share our plans for our Food store in West Mersea, our biggest refurbishment project to date. We hope our members and customers look forward to seeing the store in its full glory in a few months and thank them for their patience in the meantime. 

“Supporting our communities is part of our DNA as a co-operative. Being able to provide a safe space within one of our Food stores for local people to come together is part of our commitment to making a positive local impact.” 

The East of England Co-op is owned by its members and is driven by its commitment to supporting local communities. The retailer has donated over £1 million to good causes in East Anglia over the last three years.