Tesco to take over Southern Co-op’s West Wight store

Tesco is coming to the West Wight as plans to take over the Southern Co-operative’s largest store are submitted to install the supermarket giant’s signs on the building.

The store on Afton Road, Freshwater, and the biggest in the area, is still in the hands of the regional co-operative, but will close later this year.

In a statement released in June on its social media, the Southern Co-op said plans were in progress to transfer the store to Tesco, and will instead focus on its convenience store estates, including the shop on Avenue Road, Freshwater.

The Southern Co-op reassured customers they would still be served, but by a different provider, with the sale expected to be completed in autumn 2021.

At the time, the sale remained subject to a number of conditions, with Tesco yet to confirm whether it would take over the store.

Now, plans to install Tesco signage on the front of the shop, around the car park and on the road edge have been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council.

It would be the brand’s second largest store on the Island. Tesco has small Tesco Express shops and the largest Tesco Extra at Westridge.

Proposed signs say the shop will be open from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday — the same hours the Co-op stores currently operate under.

Staff members at the Afton Road Co-op will, the Southern Co-op says, have the opportunity to transfer to Tesco should they wish to do so.