THE Co-op is strengthening its ties with York with the announcement of a new store for the city and a new supply deal.

The national chain has announced that the city will get one of more than 100 new stores it plans to open in 2018, creating about 1,600 jobs.

York currently has eight Co-op stores, spread across the city.

The retailer has also announced that it will be the exclusive wholesale supplier to the Costcutter Group, which has its head office in Dunnington, just east of York.

The Co-op will supply the 2,200 Costcutter stores across the country.

Stuart Hookins, Co-op’s director of portfolio and development, said: “The Co-op’s extensive acquisitions and refit programme is a fundamental part of our food strategy.

“Moving forward with a clear purpose and momentum, our expansion plans for 2018 will mean that the Co-op is on track to have opened at least 100 new stores in each of three consecutive years.

“With over one million new active members joining us in the last year, we are always looking for new locations to get closer to where our members and customers live and work and to meet their shopping needs conveniently.”

No details have been released of where the new Co-op store in York will be.

The national chain is investing more than £160 million in the new store programme, as well as making what it called “major makeovers” to another 150 outlets.

At present, there are Co-op stores in Paragon Street in the city centre, which was the most recent to open, Heworth, Acomb, Hull Road, Broadway in Fulford, Tang Hall Lane and at garages on Tadcaster Road and Boroughbridge Road.

The Co-op is also bidding to buy Nisa Retails, but has to get approval from the Competition and Markets Authority. Nisa is Scunthorpe based and provides services for and supplies 2,500 independent small stores across the country.

Jo Whitfield, chief executive of Co-op Food, said: “The Co-op is positively responding to the changes occurring within this dynamic sector.

“Our food business is going from strength to strength in what is clearly a challenging retail market.

“We have the ambition for our stores to be at the heart of local life, bringing communities together and offering our members and customers great quality products when and where they need them.”