Wincanton, the supply chain solutions business, will continue to service a number of the Co-op’s distribution centres after it signed a deal to extend its relationship with the retailer for a further five years. The deal will see up to 1,000 Co-op stores serviced by Wincanton, equating to somewhere in the region of 130,000 journeys per year.

Right for both businesses

Both Jon Paul Brown, Head of Transport at the Co-op and Adrian Colman, Chief Executive, Wincanton acknowledged the significance of the deal to both businesses, with Jon Paul Brown remarking: “Renewing our food logistics contract with Wincanton is an important part of our re-build strategy, which continues at pace. We remain committed to delivering the best possible service to stores and we are confident that continuing our long-term relationship with Wincanton will help this and reduce our operating costs, to support investment in our business and members going forward.”

Rebuild and renew

The move reflects the Co-op’s desire to continue improving the service it delivers to its customers, which has seen it perform well in a challenging market recently. Selecting the right strategic partners is key to achieving this, as we found out at the retailer’s recent supplier conference.