Award-winning social enterprise Community Shop, part of Company Shop Group and the UK’s first social supermarket, is expanding its network of social supermarkets, with a new store opening in December in North Bransholme, Hull. The latest addition will mark the 15th store in its pioneering social enterprise network, redistributing surplus products and tackling the root causes of food insecurity in communities experiencing social inequality - offering its members a hand-up, not just a handout. 

Community Shop North Bransholme will be made up of three distinct but interconnected spaces: Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen. The Community Store will provide members with access to deeply discounted food and essentials, including its Plenty for 20 range which provides fruit, vegetables and bread for only 20p. Profits will be reinvested into its Community Hub, which will deliver life-changing holistic support and development, empowering people across the local community to learn new skills and build their confidence. Its Community Kitchen will offer a café that enables people to connect with others and will offer home-cooked meals, with kids eating for free every day. 

Community Shop works in partnership with manufacturers and retailers across the grocery and FMCG sectors to redistribute surplus products that are in-date and safe to consume but are surplus for reasons such as mislabelling, overproduction, or seasonal packaging. Products are sold in-store at discounted prices, and profits are reinvested locally through a Community Hub and Community Kitchen, offering members skills training and affordable meals.  

By capturing surplus products and reinvesting profits from the store directly back into the community, Community Shop not only eases the strain on household budgets, but creates a self-sustaining alternative to short-term food aid, providing thousands of families with dignity, choice and the opportunity to build lasting resilience.  

The new store opening comes at a critical time, as food insecurity reaches record levels across the UK. According to the Trussell Trust’s Hunger in the UK 2025 report, almost one in three children under five now live in households facing hunger, and nearly a third of food bank users come from working families.  

Against this backdrop, Community Shop’s model has never been more vital. Since its inception in 2013, Community Shop has supported over 104,000 families through this model, embedding resilience within communities and improving people’s circumstances for the long-term. 

The new store will be located within the North Bransholme Community Centre (Lothian Way, Hull, HU7 5DD) where it will share the building with the Paul Ingle Boxing Academy. Both organisations will continue to operate side by side, supporting and empowering the local community together.   

Supported by Hull City Council, the project forms part of wider efforts to improve access to affordable food and strengthen local resilience.   

Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, commented: “For the past 12 years, Community Shop has not only provided our members with access to deeply discounted food and households products, but also provided life-changing programmes and holistic support so that our members develop their own capabilities and feel empowered to deliver a positive future for themselves. We’re delighted to continue our mission, building stronger individuals and more confident communities, and we look forward to welcoming families from across the North Bransholme community into their new store later this year.”  

Community Store has saved members over £65.8m on their food shopping, whilst the Community Hubs have delivered more than 272,000 development programmes. Through its Community Kitchens more than 1m free kids’ meals have been served.