Co-op grows university franchise estate by 50% with four new deals

Co-op has secured four 10-year franchise agreements with new universities for campus convenience stores.

The new partnerships are with Queen Mary University of London, the University of Leicester, the University of Sheffield and Durham University, bringing its university franchise estate to 17 stores.

It is a 50% increase on last year, when Co-op announced openings at the University of Glasgow and the University of Birmingham.

The first of the four stores to open will be at Queen Mary University of London, representing Co-op’s first university campus store in London, followed by Leicester. The other two stores will open in due course.

Co-op stores on campus are designed to support modern student lifestyles, the convenience retailer said, offering food-to-go, meal solutions and everyday essentials in convenient locations.

The stores also help to keep spending on campus and create employment opportunities for students, it added.

Co-op said the latest agreements reflected growing demand from universities and students’ unions seeking Co-op as a trusted retail partner that could improve the campus experience.

Since opening its first university franchise store in 2019, Co-op has steadily expanded its presence with university partners across the UK, including in Leeds, Kent, Newcastle, Oxford Brookes, Keele, Loughborough, Surrey, Warwick, Birmingham and Lancaster.

“We’re delighted to welcome four more university partners to The Co-op franchise family,” said Co-op wholesale business development manager for franchise Melanie Crunkhorn. 

“Increasingly, universities and students’ unions are looking for partners that can help them enhance the student experience whilst also delivering sustainable commercial returns and supporting wider campus objectives. 

“Our franchise model brings together a trusted brand, specialist retail expertise and a partnership approach that enables institutions to focus on what they do best while we take care of the retail operation. These latest agreements are another strong endorsement of the value Co-op can bring to campus communities – we’re excited to work alongside Queen Mary, Durham, Leicester and Sheffield to create outstanding retail experiences for students, staff and visitors alike.”