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# East of England Co-op returns to profit with £4.6m turnaround
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/east-of-england-co-op-returns-to-profit-with-turnaround/
- Published: 2025-05-07T07:04:36.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:12:49.000Z
- Description: The regional retailer has announced a £1m trading profit from continuous operations, marking a significant financial recovery from last year.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Business, #article, East of England Co-op, #Import 2026-03-16 14:45

**Why it matters:** This represents a £4.6m financial turnaround and fulfils a three-year ambition to restore profitability, despite ongoing economic challenges affecting businesses across the region.

**The big picture:** The independent retailer, which operates food stores, funeral services and travel branches across East Anglia, credits its commercial success to a year of investment and reshaping its business portfolio to better serve local communities.

![Co-op on Ravenswood](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1727166582-co-op-ravenswood-1-1.jpg)

Co-op on Ravenswood Photo: Oliver Rouane-Williams (Ipswich.co.uk)

**By the numbers:** The East of England Co-op has:

- Expanded into a fifth county with its first Hertfordshire food store in Bishop's Stortford
- Supported more than 700 charities and good causes over the past year
- Directly helped over 140,000 people through its Community Cares Fund since 2020

**What they're saying:** "We're proud to be announcing a return to profit this year. This is an ambition we've been working towards for the past three years so it's a moment for us to celebrate as we mark the start of an exciting period of growth," said Andy Rigby, Chief Executive Officer for the East of England Co-op.

**Between the lines:** The retailer has made difficult decisions to achieve profitability, including:

- Closing its stonemasonry business H.L. Perfitt
- Proposing to lease three supermarkets to new operators
- Placing 13 branches across its food and funeral businesses on the market for sale
- Marketing its central office, Wherstead Park, for sale

**The other side:** Despite the positive results, Rigby acknowledges ongoing challenges: "Rising costs are still having an impact on businesses and communities in our region and across the country. We're continuing to feel the impact of this challenging financial situation."

![East of England Co-op CEO Andy Rigby](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1734015323-andy-rigby-jpeg.jpg)

East of England Co-op CEO Andy Rigby (East of England Co-op)

**Looking ahead:** The 155-year-old retailer faces both opportunities and challenges in 2025:

- Plans for new stores and branches are in development
- Its refurbishment programme will continue
- The business will need to absorb increases in the National Living Wage and National Insurance contributions

**The bottom line:** The East of England Co-op's return to profit enables continued investment in its estate and technology while maintaining its community support programmes, ensuring the cooperative can be sustained for future generations.

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