New store in Coates welcomes shoppers for first time

A £2.5m Lincolnshire Co-op food store on March Road in Coates has opened its doors for the first time, creating 15 new jobs locally.
This marks the co-operatives 100th
food store and is part of plans to expand its food business.

Inside, the shop offers a range of goods and services, including daily essentials like freshly baked bread, chilled meal options, groceries, fruit and veg, and a variety of meal options such as COOK frozen meals, plus Costa Coffee Express and Tango Ice Blast machines.

Local businesses are supported through the society’s Love Local range, and items from producers like Grasmere Farm, based in Peterborough, and Elgood’s Brewery, located in Wisbech, are available instore.

Environmental features have also been embedded into the store including CO2 type refrigeration like fridge doors, and LED lighting throughout the stoor. There is also soft plastics and battery recycling available instore.
Leading up to opening day, Lincolnshire Co-op Community Co-ordinator Rox Croot worked with Coates Primary School to teach the children about road safety with a poster competition.
The winners were invited to opening day to see their designs on display and participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony, alongside the Mayor of Whittlesey.

The co-operative’s membership and community teams were also in attendance. To mark the opening of Lincolnshire Co-op’s 100th store, they gave out 100 goodie bags filled with Love Local products. They also handed out strawberries to members and those who signed up to become members on the day, helped with membership queries, and hosted a raffle with money raised going toward Macmillan Cancer Support.

Lincolnshire Co-op members get access to exclusive offers and events, they can collect cashback across all business areas, and a donation is made to support local groups through the society’s Community Champions scheme when members shop with their dividend card.
Customers will support Macmillan Cancer Support until 6th September 2025 through Community Champions. From 7th September 2025 to March 2026, customers will then support Coates Primary School.
A £500 donation from the society to celebrate the store opening will be equally shared by two local charities, Coates Public Hall and The Eastrea Centre.

Elizabeth Hammond, Coates Food Store Manager, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome our Coates customers and it’s been an exciting day for the team, building connections with the community.
“The opening of our food store brings many new services into the local area, and we can’t wait to see the impact our fundraising will have on our Community Champions.”
