Chris Conway has stepped down from his role as managing director of quick commerce at the Co-op, bringing an end to an eight-year tenure during which he built and scaled the retailer’s online food and rapid delivery operations.
In a LinkedIn post announcing his departure, Conway said it had been a “privilege to help shape the evolution of our online and quick commerce proposition”.
“What began as an emerging idea grew into a business of real scale — built by talented teams willing to test, learn and move at pace,” he said. “I’m proud of what we achieved together, particularly in pushing established retail into faster, more agile territory.”
Conway added that he would now take time to “recharge and reflect” before deciding on his next career move.
Conway joined the Co-op in March 2018 as director of e-commerce, where he founded and led the convenience retailer’s first online food business. During this period, he oversaw the launch of a new technology platform and picking application, and rapidly expanded the service footprint, with thousands of online services rolled out within two years.
He was promoted to managing director of Co-op’s quick commerce division in October 2022, reporting to the Co-op Food CEO. In the role, he was responsible for digital strategy, e-commerce growth and the development of the retailer’s rapid delivery proposition, as well as supporting new business ventures.
Conway also led the launch of Peckish, a new rapid delivery grocery app exclusively for small and independent retailers.
His departure comes at a challenging time for the Co-op, which has faced a series of senior exits and organisational upheaval over the past year. Recent reports have highlighted concerns among some senior managers about executive-level culture and decision-making, alongside disruption linked to a major cyber attack in 2025 that resulted in a £206m hit to revenues and dented profitability.
Prior to joining the Co-op, Conway held senior e-commerce roles at Morrisons and Asda, including senior director of grocery e-commerce at Asda, where he spent more than a decade.