Pioneering food redistribution supermarket, that helps the environment while giving members discounts on their favourite food brands, has launched in Renfrew for the first time.
An innovative supermarket, where police officers, fire-fighters, the ambulance service and NHS workers can carry out their weekly shop for up to 60% off the normal retail price, opened yesterday.
Company Shop Renfrew, which operates on a free membership model, is based in the Blythswood Retail Park and will save tonnes of perfectly good food and products from going to waste each year – enabling members to access discounted food and household goods from their favourite brands, while helping the environment.
Membership is open to anyone in Scotland who works in the NHS, Emergency Services and in the fast-moving consumer goods supply chain. It is expected that the new store will benefit 24,000 local members in its first year, while creating 80 jobs for the Renfrewshire area.
Company Shop Group is the UK’s leading redistribution supermarket and already operates a chain of stores across England. The company prevents good food and household products from going to waste by purchasing surplus food and consumer goods from household brands such as Waitrose, Nestle, Iceland and Tesco before redistributing the products at deeply discounted prices to members.
All the food sold within the store is in date and perfectly good to eat but is deemed “surplus” and may have otherwise gone to waste due to incorrect or wonky labelling, seasonal packaging or overstock – amongst other reasons.
The opening of the Group’s first store in Scotland follows the rapid expansion of the pioneering redistribution model in recent years, with more Scottish stores planned for 2020.
Jane Marren, Managing Director of Company Shop, said: “We are delighted to officially open our first Scottish store here in Renfrew. This is an area with a thriving food manufacturing industry and hard-working families who will benefit hugely from accessing discounted food in our stores which might otherwise have gone go to waste.
“Our model helps businesses to reduce waste, protect the planet, feed hard-working families and support communities. We are hugely grateful for all of the support we have received so far, including from our long-standing retail partners, members, local organisations and the wider community.”
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said: “I am delighted to welcome Company Shop Group to Renfrew and am delighted that they have chosen the area as the location for their first Scottish store. By opening their new redistribution supermarket in Blythswood retail park, Company Shop is providing over 80 new jobs for local people and bringing significant discounts for our hard-working NHS, Emergency Services and food manufacturing staff across Renfrewshire and beyond.
Company Shop’s model of re-selling surplus food and household goods to prevent perfectly good stock from unnecessarily going to waste is exactly the kind of initiative we need to protect the environment and tackle the climate emergency”.
Councillor John Shaw, Ward Councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead, said: “I am delighted that Company Shop has chosen Renfrew as the location of their first store in Scotland. As the UK’s leading redistributor of food and household surplus stock, Company Shop is bringing a whole new business concept to the area which will benefit many local residents both in terms of the eighty new jobs the site will bring and the deep discounts enjoyed by members.”
