East of England Co-op has reported a doubling in underlying trading profit to £2 milliom in 2025 despite a fall in turnover and pre-tax profit during what chief executive Andy Rigby described as one of the toughest trading periods he has experienced in more than four decades in retail.
The regional co-operative posted turnover of £367.8m, down £17.9m year-on-year, while profit before taxation fell by £1.2m to £2.6m. However, underlying trading profit increased by £1.0m compared with last year, marking the retailer’s third consecutive year of profit growth.
The retailer said the improved performance reflected a shift from being a “business in transformation” to a “business in growth”, against a backdrop of rising operating costs, economic uncertainty and disruption linked to the cyber incident affecting Co-op Group deliveries earlier this year.
“Over the 45 years I’ve been in the retail business, last year was one of the most challenging I’ve experienced in the food retail space. But, against the odds, we’ve delivered an underlying trading profit of £2.0m,” Rigby said.
“We were faced with the impact of the cyber incident on Co-op Group, affecting deliveries to our stores, however our incredible local suppliers and colleagues came together brilliantly to minimise the impact to our customers. The way we weathered this storm to deliver a 100% increase in profit is testament to our resilience. We’re a proudly independent local retailer, deeply committed to serving communities in the place we call home, the East of England.”
During the year, the retailer opened five new food stores and two new travel branches, while also launching its first fully cashless convenience store at Ipswich Train Station. The outlet was recognised by the Institute of Grocery Distribution as one of 25 “stores of the future” worldwide.
Chief finance officer James Norman said the business continued to face pressure from higher business rates, employment costs and energy prices.
“We’ve worked hard this year to offset these challenges with measures such as careful investment in our property portfolio and a continued strategic focus on the right products in our Food business,” he added.
The society also highlighted progress on sustainability, reporting a 25 per cent reduction in tCO2e emissions during the year through measures integrated across the business.
Community support remained a major focus for the retailer throughout 2025. The East of England Co-op said it supported 775 community groups and local charities through its various programmes, including donating more than £120,000 to local causes through its Local Giving initiative.
“Our Community Cares Fund, established in 2020, continues to award grants to life changing local projects addressing community cohesion and integration. We were proud to award 73 of these grants this year,” Rigby said.
Looking ahead, Rigby said the retailer would continue investing in new store openings, existing sites and innovative ventures.
“The strategy we’re following is working and we’re going to keep focusing our investment where we see the greatest long-term impact,” he said. “A key priority for us next year will be expanding and evolving our membership proposition, focusing on delivering a more personalised offer that truly benefits our current members as well as attracting new ones.”