Over the last few months, we’ve had an amazing time hosting our ‘Talk to us’ member events in various Southern Co-op stores across the south. These events gave us a fantastic opportunity to connect with our members and truly understand what it means to be part of Southern Co-op from the perspective of our members.

At the end of May, we visited our Hayling Island store. As one of our largest locations, we were excited to invite the members of the vibrant surrounding community to meet with our leadership team. Our CEO, Mark Smith, and Chief of Retail, Simon Eastwood, attended the event, and we had some great conversations with our members about everything from the products we offer to our future plans.

We kicked off August at our Clanfield store! Mark Smith and Board Director Judith Feeney were there, ready to answer any questions our members had. We were also thrilled to have our friends from Montezuma’s join us, generously offering free chocolate tasters, and the talented Sharon from Snazzy Roo Painting & Glitter, who kept the event lively with face painting.

Our final event of the summer was held at the end of August at our Abbotswood store in Romsey. Mark Smith and Simon Eastwood returned for this event. Since Abbotswood is one of our newer stores, this ‘Talk to Us’ event was an amazing opportunity to connect with members who have played a key role in establishing this local Southern Co-op community. We were grateful to discuss the topics that matter most to them and provide more insight into how we work as a business.

A big thank you to the hardworking teams at our Hayling Island, Clanfield, and Abbotswood stores for helping our ‘Talk to us’ Member Events run so smoothly. And, of course, a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Southern Co-op members who took the time to share their thoughts and feedback with us.