Co-op Food

Utterly useless. Aside from being one of the Co-op's more expensive outlets, the staff here are a joke. They are anywhere apart from on the till (there's only 2 tills), which would be fine, if the self service tills A. worked fine, B. didn't constantly need staff approval. I've yet to visit this store (i only go here because it's close to work), and have the till NOT require 'assistance' which in itself wouldn't be a problem if the staff were actually around, near the tills. Which they're not, the self service checkouts are supposed to speed things, up but they don't and having to wait several minutes for a member of staff who looks half asleep / confused to come sort things out doesn't help. Just as an example of how awful the tills are - today i scanned a loaf of bread and put it in the bagging area, the till then asked me to type the bar-code in, which I did, it then tried to charge me twice! So I had to go queue at the cigarette counter as the only member of staff on duty was there, and therefore unable to assist at the 'self checkouts'. The sooner the co-op realises that these are not a total replacement for human beings, the better.

As mentioned by others, very rarely are all the tills staffed. Worse is the fact that usually some of the self service machines are not available either. Even if they are they frequently require staff approval which comes only after a long wait. On top of it all, prices are higher than other supermarkets. It's currently the closest to me but I still shop elsewhere when I can.

UPDATE: It's been a lot better recently. I think they got some additional staff and the self service seems more reliable.

With the vast majority of the staff, if you're nice to them, they'll be nice to you, and most of them really are good people. It's true that there can be staffing issues, maybe not watching the tills properly, but politely ask the first worker you see and they will happily help you. This is true for any other help you might need too. Honestly, this is probably true of all shops anywhere you go, but I know from experience here. This has been an entirely unbiased review from someone that definitely didn't work there part time for four years.

New Review: After undergoing renovations, I can say that essentially every major issue with this store has been resolved. The standard of service is much improved, and the selection seems to have also been expanded somewhat.

Old Review: (2 stars) Understaffed, seemingly, with much not being stocked even hours after opening some days. The self service machines break down at an incredible rate, but there are rarely enough staff around to quickly fix the issue. What's more almost everything in there is much more expensive than elsewhere - which would be okay if one at least felt they were getting a similar standard of service.

Hermes parcel collect and return shop. Print your own label beforehand!
There’s another co-op on the same road closer to the Blavatnik that does not offer parcel collection and returns, but it does have an atm/cash point. Personally prefer the latter for general groceries. This one is better for snacks, drinks and essential items.

Without a doubt the worst customer service experience in a long time. There are three much better 'convenience' shops within a few minutes' walking distance. If you don't want aggressive, rude, petulant service, and prefer management who can keep their bloodshot eyes open long enough to deal with your complaint, head to one of those other shops.

-Large
-Plenty of Fairtrade items
-Relatively clean and tidy

Supposed to close at 10pm but the guys are nicking at least 10mins off the clock. Not cool