SHOPPERS have been left devastated after a supermarket chain with 2,500 sites across the UK prepares to shut a beloved town centre store.

Locals have described the shock decision to shut the doors of the popular branch as “a huge loss” for the town centre.

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The local Co-op store in the Meadows, Nottingham is set to finally pull down the shutters for the final time tomorrow.

The well-known shop was a mainstay in the Bridgeway Shopping Centre for over 50 years.

Co-op haven’t given a reason for the closure but said it was a “difficult decision”.

The store’s final day of trading will be Saturday, November 16.

A spokesperson for Co-op confirmed the closure saying: “Co-op regularly reviews its stores. In addition to opening new stores we sometimes, and only after careful consideration, have to take the difficult decision to close a store.

“With the expiry of the lease our store in the Bridgeway Centre will close.

“Colleagues, who have been informed, are being fully supported with every effort being taken to offer alternative positions in the area.

“We would like to thank the community for its support of this store.”

Local David Cooksy previously told how he was left “disappointed” when he heard the store was closing down.

David, 85, and his wife Heidi, 82, have been regular Co-op customers since the 50s in the Meadows.

He told the BBC: “It’s convenient. It’s a convenience store, that’s what it’s called and now it’s not going to be here.

“It’s always been here. I go back to the 50s in the Meadows and there’s always been a Co-op.”

Laney Neilson, 24, said the branch was a favourite for older locals including her grandparents due to its prime location in the town centre.

She said the closure has made many pensioners “quite upset” with the nearest store no longer being in walking distance.

The next closest Co-op stores for shoppers in the area are on Station Street and Trent Bridge in Nottingham or Trent Boulevard in West Bridgford.

Meadows resident Aparna Valsala, 33, added: “You see so many people come here in the morning – it’s a loss to the community.”

It comes after news that Central Co-op would be offloading almost 20 food stores in various locations across middle England.

However, in a boost for shoppers the same branches are being sold to two retailers and will reopen under their brand names.

Three of the food stores will reopen as B&M branches, while the remaining 16 are being sold to Samy Limited.

The independent convenience chain currently runs 32 Budgens, Spar, Londis and Premier stores across the UK.

Central Co-op said the 19 branches had been “financially unsustainable for some time”.

HIGH STREET CLOSURES

Several high-street retailers have been struggling to get by over the past few years.

The pandemic was a tough blow as many stores had to close during lockdown.

Since then energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.

This has left some remaining retailers grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.

For the most part, supermarkets have braved the storm as they provide essential items like food and drink.

But other retailers have been less fortunate The Body Shop is currently going through administration and announced plans to close half of its 198 stores.

Boots announced it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.

M&S has also confirmed store closure and openings with plans to ensure it has the best store locations.

A MAJOR supermarket is set to sell tubs of Christmas chocolates for a shockingly low £2.

Morrisons is dropping the price of four of its tubs from November 15 until November 21.

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However, shoppers can only pick up the cut price choccies if they are signed up to the retailer’s More Card scheme and spend a minimum of £45 in-store.

Savvy savers can only get a maximum of one of each tub too.

The tubs up for grabs include 550g-600g Quality Street, Cadbury Heroes, Celebrations and Roses.

The offer is running nationwide for just six days, with shoppers able to save 66% on the tubs.

All four tubs currently cost up to £6 for shoppers.

The new offer from Morrisons means it is offering the cheapest price for all four Christmas tubs out of the major supermarkets.

Aldi is the next cheapest option for 550g boxes of Celebrations, which is selling them for £4.49.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s is selling 550g tubs of Roses for £4.50 to Nectar Card customers – £2.50 more expensive than Morrisons.

The 550g tubs of Cadbury Heroes are two for £9 at Asda, or £4.50 individually, but that’s £2.50 more expensive than Morrisons.

Aldi has the 600g tubs of Quality Street in stock for £4.49 which is the least costly after Morrisons.

Morrisons is not the first supermarket chain to dramatically slash the price of its Christmas chocs in recent weeks.

For two days only last month, Asda dropped the cost of its Quality Street, Cadbury Heroes, Roses and Celebrations.

While Morrisons’ Christmas chocs deal is the best on the market at the minute, it’s always worth comparing prices to be sure.

You can use websites like Trolley, Price Spy and Price Runner which let you compare prices on thousands of products.

A quick search with the Google Shopping/Product tab can bring up what some retailers are selling items for too.

It’s worth going direct to discounter’s websites like B&M and Home Bargains too as they often have cheap chocs on sale.

How does the Morrisons More Card work?

The Morrisons More Card is free to sign up to as an app that’s downloadable from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

You can also get a physical card which you can add to your wallet or purse.

It works like the Clubcard or Nectar Card in that you can earn points on purchases. You get one point for every £1 spent in-store or online.

Once you’ve got to 5,000 points you can either keep saving them or convert them into a voucher worth £5, known as a Fiver.

If you don’t have the app, you can get your Fiver printed in-store.

As a loyalty card member, you can also get lower prices on selected products, known as More Card Prices.

You have to scan your app or physical card at the till and the discounts are applied.

How to save money on chocolate

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We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

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Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

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Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

A CADBURY chocolate bar which has been labelled as “yummy” has returned to B&M stores across the UK, to the delight of shoppers.

The retailer has recently been stocking the shelves full of different chocolate treats – including the classic Cherry Ripe from down under.

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One eagle-eyed shopper got their hands on one at their local store before spreading the word on social media.

They took to the Facebook group Dansway Gifts and Bargains UK to let others know, writing: “Cadbury Cherry Ripe Bars BACK at B&M.”

One person commented: “Omg haven’t had them since I was last in Australia, thought it was great finding TimTams in Tesco’s but this is even better!!”

Another said: “Ohhh I have never seen these before love cherry chocolate.”

Someone else wrote: “Omg , love these , used to buy them everyday on way to school when I lived in Oz …”

Another person commented: “You can’t beat them best chocolate ever.”

One person added: “My guilty pleasure at the moment absolutely to die for.”

Cadbury’s Cherry Ripe is a popular chocolate bar in Australia which features rich dark chocolate, ripe juicy cherries and moist coconut.

The Sun has reached out to B&M to check the price of the chocolate bar.

You can also buy a pack of two Cherry Ripe on Amazon for £4.99.

The chocolate brand also has plenty of other exciting ranges which prop up shelves every once in a while.

Just last month Cadbury’s Coated Fruit & Nuts were spotted on B&M shelves.

The discounter often imports stock from Down Under to customer fanfare including Dairy Milk Raspberry bars.

These chocolates aren’t usually found in UK shops and so are especially appealing for shoppers – plus for Aussies, they offer a taste of home.

This year a Cadbury’s mint-flavoured twirl also appeared on shelves in B&M, which originally launched in Australia, and only £1 for four.

What other Cadbury’s chocolates are available?

There’s also loads of classic fan-favourites making a comeback in time for Christmas, such as the Dairy Milk Chocolate Puds.

For individual pud it costs 75p in Sainsbury’s and just 70p in Waitrose.

You can also buy bags of mini puds for £1.65 in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Poundland.

And the rare 360g Dairy Milk mint crisp bar has returned to some shelves this year – selling cheapest in Asda for £4.

Other Cadbury Christmas bars which are available in supermarkets this year also include the Dairy Milk Classic Wonderland and Mini Snow Balls edition.

Remember to always compare prices when shopping so you know you’re paying the right amount for what you’re getting.

A great way to do this is via the comparison site Trolley which will show the prices for every store.

You can also visit the Cadbury website to browse all their latest products and launches.

It comes as B&M shoppers also went wild for a new twist on the Dream bar.

Meanwhile, chocolate lovers raved about a new type of M&M – the Candy Popcorn M&M Minis.

Nestle also added a new chocolate to its Quality Street “Favourites Golden Selection” pouch: the Toffee Penny.

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Advertisement

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Advertisement

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

THE Chancellor last night attempted to win back the City with plans to create pension megafunds to boost investment in Britain and rip up financial red tape.

Just a fortnight after her Budget received a frosty reception, Rachel Reeves told businesses she was still “going for growth”.

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Ms Reeves wants to create her “megafunds” by pooling £1.3trillion of pension savings held by 86 separate local government schemes.

She reckons this will create £80billion to invest in British businesses and infrastructure.

The Chancellor borrowed the idea from Canadian and Australian pension schemes, which bundle local government pension schemes together and invest their trillions of dollars in big assets with high growth and profit potential.

She hopes this will not only cut costs for pension schemes by reducing fees to advisers, but will also funnel greater investment into the country’s infrastructure — which is currently being snapped up by overseas pension funds.

Canadian pension funds own swathes of British properties and utilities, and just this week bought the UK’s airport operator in a £1.5billion deal.

Reeves’ idea is not a new one, but pension reform on this scale has not been tackled before.

Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, last night agreed that the UK pension system had been “too fragmented” to encourage “investment in the real economy”.

In his speech last night he said the UK’s economic potential growth rate had fallen from 2.6 per cent between 1990 to 2008 to just 0.7 per cent, partly because of low productivity.

Tom Selby, public policy director at AJ Bell, said the megafunds must not forget their purpose to deliver good returns for pensioners.

He said: “In the government’s increasingly desperate search for investment and growth, it is crucial savers and retirees are not forced to pay the price through sub-standard investment return.”

The Chancellor, who has said she wants to bring more stability and security to the financial system than the Conservatives, last night conceded it was time to take off the kid gloves.

She said that some of the rules and regulations brought in after the 2008 financial crisis to avoid another banking meltdown had “gone too far”.

Ms Reeves reckons some rules stifled investment.

She added: “The UK has been regulating for risk, not regulating for growth.”

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Firms feel left out after raid

LAST night was a Square Mile schmoozefest that few Brits or businesses could relate to.

As Reeves spoke of growth under chandeliers in the Lord Mayor’s house, shops, pubs and restaurants counted the cost of her £25billion tax raid.

Retailers feel particularly sore for supporting Labour before the election to then be hit by National Insurance contributions. They also didn’t get business rates reforms.

 Altus Group analysis shows raising taxes on top properties to level the playing field with online retailers actually hits nearly three times more retail, leisure and hospitality firms than online businesses.

Reeves has to renew her charm offensive with firms outside of the City.

Trench warfare for Burb

BURBERRY shares rose yesterday after its new boss outlined an urgent turnaround — and blamed his predecessor for several fashion faux pas.

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Half-year results for the brand fell by a fifth to £1.1billion in the last six months while it has swung to a £53million loss.

Joshua Schulman, who took over as CEO in July, said it was due to “poor decision execution and a lack of focus on core business”.

He also pointed the finger at former CEO Jonathan Akeroyd’s decision to hike handbag prices, when Burberry did not have the same clout as leather goods giants LVMH and Hermes.

He said it will focus on its heritage of trench coats, which Thomas Burberry started in 1856 with waterproofs.

The US boss, who previously led Michael Kors and Coach, dismissed predictions that he would turn Burberry into similarly more affordable and mass-market brands.

New coal mine ban

THE government has banned any future new coal mining schemes as part of its Clean Power push.

It comes after the UK’s last coal-fired power station Ratcliffe-on-Soar shut last month.

Coal mining powered Britain for 140 years but Labour wants to become reliant on green renewable energy by 2030.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “The UK’s in prime position to lead the phasing out of coal power, the largest contributor to global emissions.”

Ices Gaza ‘gag’

ICE cream brand BEN & JERRY’S is suing its parent company Unilever, claiming it was silenced from speaking out in support of Palestinians.

It follows the former Unilever boss telling Ben & Jerry’s to stay out of geopolitics after it said it would stop supplying ice cream to the West Bank two years ago.

The Phish Food maker now says attempts to speak out in support of a ceasefire were blocked, breaching the terms of its settlement in 2022. Unilever said it “rejects the claims and will defend its case.”

INVESTMENT firm London Capital & Finance was a Ponzi scheme, the High Court ruled. It raised about £237million from 11,600 ordinary investors before going bust in 2019.

It depended entirely on new investors paying existing ones, a judge said.

WHS shops fly

WH SMITH yesterday revealed it now makes five times as much profit from its travel network shops than its high street stores after a rapid expansion in US airports.

The stationery retailer opened 100 new stores last year and is appealing to holidaymakers by selling more cosmetics, gadgets and food products.

It made £202million profit from its travel division compared to £39million from its high street stores in the past year. There are 90 more travel shops still to be opened.

A LUCKY lotto winner scooped a whopping £40million jackpot before opting for van life and getting dumped.

Dad-of-two Gareth Bull, 53, scored his winnings in January 2012 after picking up the life-changing ticket on a whim.

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The former builder realised he’d won the multi-million pound jackpot the day after he’d bought the ticket and celebrated with his then wife Catherine.

Six-years on, he splurged some of his mammoth fortune on a bungalow in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, only to have it knocked down and move into a caravan.

He said: “My friends said, ‘You’ve won £40,000,000 and moved into a caravan!’”

When the bungalow was half demolished in 2019 Gareth lived in the remaining rooms so he could stay on site and look after the tools.

Gareth added: “When the rest of the bungalow had to be knocked down, I moved into a caravan on the building site – much to the amusement of my friends.”

Thankfully for Gareth, the move was only temporary as he was in the process of building his dream 6000sq ft house.

“Once I got the green light to go ahead, I started digging and just didn’t stop.”

Despite being lucky in the lottery Gareth wasn’t as lucky in love, and split with his former wife in 2016, five years after their big win.

He then went on to have a whirlwind relationship with Tenerife bar manager Donna Desporte after they met on a stag do.

His wife was said to have spotted the pair in the background of a televised Anthony Joshua boxing match after they had split.

Gareth and his new lover had a star-studded nine-month romance after he used the pick up line “Google me” which ended being the title of Donna’s memoir.

Gareth then struck up a relationship with interior designer Victoria Melling, 48, around the same time he’d taken up caravan life.

After living in his trailer, Gareth was able to build his mega-mansion with the assistance of his new girlfriend.

The pair took to social media to share smitten snaps of couples holidays and luxury hotel stays.

Mum-of-one Victoria helped style the huge four-bedroom property during lockdown and stayed there frequently.

Despite looking loved-up online, and Victoria describing her lavish lover as a “knight in shining armour,” the couple called it quits after two years of dating.

The Furnish Your Interior shop designer told MailOnline: “I did design his house and I helped design his villa in Tenerife, but we are no longer together.”

The million-pound property boasts a wave-controlled swimming pool, sound-sytems, hot tubs, and a three personalised bars.

He also created an artificial lake, which originally designed to be a pond but increased to the size of two tennis courts.

The lucky punter added: “I called it ‘Lockdown Lake’, made a little sign with its name on it and invited anyone who needed to rehome their fish to bring them here.”

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A DELIVERY firm backed by the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, Martin Lewis, has gone bust, leaving shareholders millions of pounds out of pocket.

Magway Limited, an Ocado-backed tech firm that aimed to revolutionise UK deliveries with a network of pipes, has entered voluntary liquidation.

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Voluntary liquidation is when a company’s directors or shareholders decide to wind up and dissolve the company’s affairs. 

Founded in 2017 by Rupert Cruise, an engineer involved in Elon Musk‘s Hyperloop project, and business expert Phill Davies, the UK startup Magway Limited aimed to revolutionise the freight delivery system. 

Shareholders, including Martin Lewis, the company’s third-biggest investor, are set to lose over £5.7million. 

However, the grand vision has crumbled, and Magway Limited has now appointed liquidators, as first reported by The Grocer.

The company envisioned transporting goods in pods through new and existing 90cm diameter underground and overground pipes, reducing road congestion and air pollution.

The initial route was planned between Ocado‘s sites in Hatfield and Park Royal, west London, with additional routes intended to link UK airports to small distribution centres. 

Magway also had plans to repurpose over 850km of decommissioned London gas pipelines to create tracks for delivering e-commerce goods directly from distribution centres to consumers in the capital.

The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com had substantial control of the business until 2019, but it is unclear whether he withdrew his investments before the company filed for insolvency.

A representative for Martin Lewis declined to comment.

Magway owes over £40,000 in taxes to HMRC and over £47,000 in arrears and holiday pay to employees, leaving just over £74,000 left in the bank.

Liquidators Alvarez & Marsal will be selling Magway’s assets, including its intellectual property. 

Phil Davies, the company’s co-founder and chief executive, said, “We were trying to bring in funds from investors and clients but unfortunately ran out of runway.

“It is a great shame. The team worked tirelessly until the very end.”

Despite this, Davies remains proud of the team’s achievements, stating: “Over the last seven years, we have gained global recognition, won numerous awards, filed multiple patents, and built working prototypes.

“I firmly believe Magway’s innovative technology still holds huge potential.”

HARD TIMES FOR BUSINESSES

Last month, The Fourpure brewing company was placed into administration to “protect itself from market pressures”.

Administration is when all control of a company is passed to an appointed licensed insolvency practitioner.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the business.

Instead, administrators will try to help a company find ways to repay debts or solve its cash flow problems.

Its beers, such as Pomegranate IPA and Juiced Mango and Raspberry, are stocked in major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado.

However, it’s not just small businesses that are taking a hit.

Major DIY and homeware chain Homebase crashed into administration yesterday.

Chris Dawson, owner of The Range, rescued 70 stores through a pre-pack administration deal.

The buyout has saved approximately 1,600 jobs, but around 2,000 jobs and 49 stores face uncertainty.

Administrators will now look for buyers for the remaining Homebase stores, which will continue to operate as usual for the time being.

In September, Tupperware Brands, the US maker of food storage containers, filed for bankruptcy.

In a statement to investors, Tupperware’s chief executive Laurie Ann Goldman, said the business had struggled amidst a “challenging” overall global economic outlook.

The rising cost of raw materials, higher wages and transportation costs has seen the company struggle financially.

Goldman added: “As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward.

“This process is meant to provide us with essential flexibility as we pursue strategic alternatives to support our transformation into a digital-first, technology-led company better positioned to serve our stakeholders.”

Cosmetics company Avon also filed for bankruptcy after multiple lawsuits and financial struggles back in August.

Ted Baker collapsed into administration back in March and all 46 stores shut forever.

The Body Shop met a similar fate in February.

Wilko entered administration in August last year after PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) failed to secure a rescue bidder.

However, the brand name has since made a comeback on the high street despite the closure of 400 stores.

Since the start of 2023, Paperchase, M&Co, and Cath Kidston have also fallen into administration.