The new Glastonbury Co-op Store is now open for business

Although it was taken over by the Radstock Co-operative at the tail end of 2009, the Nisa/Heritage food store opposite St. John’s Church at 32/34 High Street has now undergone its complete refit and rebranding and opened today as the Co-operative Glastonbury community store.

The Radstock Co-operative Society is affiliated to, but independent from the National Co-operative Group and has been trading in a 25 mile radius of Radstock since 1st July 1868, being one of only a few independent co-operative retailers within the South West.

I popped along today to check out the new place and was one of the first few customers through the door.  There were a lot of staff around, and it was good to see that the friendly faces of the old team are still in place, although today there were additionally plenty of suited and booted chiefs from the head office loitering around, as well as members of the Support Team (whatever they are/do!).

The new store is certainly very snazzy, and dare I say it somewhat corporate and sterile.  Gone is the grungy and somewhat rough around the edges Heritage Food shop (which I guess some may bemoan the passing of) and in its place is lots of polished stainless steel, straight lines and glass and a floor so shiny and clean you could eat your fairtrade chocolate off it.  And indeed there is plenty of fairtrade stuff to be bought: tea, coffee, cocoa, bananas, sugar and wine for example, and no shortage of organic products too.  The right hand side of the store is a dipsomaniac’s paradise with plenty of booze of all descriptions and plenty of own-branded wine, which I am always pleased to see as the Co-op is one of the few supermarkets that actually correctly labels some of its wine as suitable for vegans. Of course many the own brand toiletries/household products are all free from animal products and none are animal tested either which is another plus.  All of eggs are free-range or organic too, which although I don’t eat them, is a bonus.

There is plenty of locally produced food and drink on offer too, as well as a glut of wholefoods, fruit and veg and most of this is in easy to locate areas around the bright and airy store.

Sam, the manager, said that they only had a week in which to complete the refit and they were still stacking the last few shelves at the end of yesterday in preparation for today’s relaunch and so it was quite a hard slog, but it looks to me like it was worth it, and likely to be less divisive of local opinion than another supermarket looking to move to town.

The new shop is open from 7am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday and 7am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday.

Have you visited the new store?  What do you think of the rebranding and refit.  Let us know here.