Award-winning social enterprise Community Shop, part of Company Shop Group and the UK’s first social supermarket, is expanding its store network, with a new store opening in March, in Fawcett Street, Sunderland, funded by Ocado Retail.

The new store will be the 16th 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 Fawcett Street is being opened thanks to the support of Ocado Retail, where its UK Customer Hub is based, a call centre supporting over 1.2 million customers on their shopping journeys. Ocado Retail has supported Community Shop for over a decade, helping to open six stores across England through the donation of surplus stock. This new store is also being supported by Sunderland City Council and the Voluntary Sector Alliance. 

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

The new store, which will be located at 31-32 Fawcett Street (SR1 1RE), operates on a free membership basis and is open to those on means-tested benefits who live in the local area. People wanting to sign up for membership should visit www.companyshop.co.uk/community-shop

Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, said: “Sunderland was the location for one of the first ‘social supermarkets’ with the People’s Store opening in the city over a hundred years ago, and we are proud to be bringing our similar offer to Fawcett Street.

“Community Shop offers more than just deeply discounted food and households products, we also provided life-changing support through our Community Hub and Community Kitchen to give our members the help and guidance they need to develop their own capabilities and feel empowered to deliver a positive future for themselves. We’re delighted to be coming to Sunderland and I would urge anyone in the Fawcett Street area to sign up for free membership now, ready for the store opening soon.”

Jonathan Wiseman, General Counsel and Chief People Officer at Ocado Retail said: “We’re proud to have supported Community Shop for over a decade and we’re delighted to have helped open this sixth store that’s within the heart of our Customer Hub in Sunderland. With many colleagues based in the area, we know the impact the Community Shop will bring to local communities and look forward to seeing its success.”

Cllr Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Community Shop has had a huge impact on the communities which it serves since its launch in 2013, so we are delighted that it is opening its first store in Sunderland, with backing from the fantastic team at Ocado, who have become a significant employer in the city following the opening of their offices in The Beam on Riverside Sunderland, in 2019. It will provide a real respite to families struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis while providing a welcoming space for support and events. It will provide a real boost to the high street.”