Petworth Co-Op to be renovated and expanded in £1m makeover

The shop is set to close this Saturday (January 4) while the works are carried out.

In the meantime, a temporary store will open at the Old Swan Hotel, Saddlers Row, from 8am on Monday (January 6).

The new-look shop, which will run on 100 per cent renewable energy, is expected to re-open in early April.

A spokesman for the Co-Op said the renovation of the Market Square store would see it almost double in size.

It will include a bakery and coffee dispenser, alongside an increased focus on fresh, healthy products, food-to-go, vegan and free-from foods, Fairtrade products, award winning wines, meal ideas and essentials.

Lewis King, Co-op Store Manager, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to start the New Year with such a significant investment in Petworth to transform our store, it is an exciting opportunity to be creating a new-look Co-op store to serve the community.

“And, we look forward to seeing our customers in our temporary home while the works are completed.”

A revamp of the store has been in the pipeline for some time.

In November 2018, the Co-Op applied for listed building consent to reconfigure its ground and basement floors ‘to increase the retail floor space and improve the functionality of the store’.

Approval for the internal works were granted in May last year, but no work was carried out.

In October, a shopper complained about the state of the store, which he said provided ‘an awful shopping experience’.

The resident said: “If you walk into the store and look up to the right, a large chunk of the plaster has fallen down.

“The lighting is sporadic and leads to an awful shopping experience.

“Regularly the fridge and freezers are broken.”

Mr King said the revamped store would have a ‘great look and extended range’.

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