Following a successful Christmas period The Southern Co-operative has announced the appointment of Simon Eastwood as Chief Operating Officer of Food Retail.
Eastwood is well versed in the supermarket industry: most recently a programme director at Morrisons, he has had a number of senior positions at the company, as well as Kiddicare and Safeway.
“We are delighted to welcome Simon to The Southern Co-operative team,” said Mark Smith, CEO of The Southern Co-operative. “His breadth of retail experience and understanding of the food market across the south of England will make a significant contribution to continuing the success of our food business.”
“The Southern Co-Operative is an amazing business and this is a great time to be joining a growing, ethically-led independent retailer,” said Eastwood.
The Christmas trading period was strong for The Southern Co-operative. Like-for-like sales jumped by 4.7% and total sales 5.4% in the three weeks to 3 January. The chain attributed its success to competitive pricing and “tailoring the right range to the right store.”
The new appointment will begin on 14 March.
