Co-op and Post Office to close in ‘devastating’ blow for UK seaside town | UK | News
The co-operative will close its branch in the seaside town in June after 42 years of trading, a move the MP described as “devastating”. As part of the closure, the only Post Office in the Minehead area, Somerset, will also close and the company has promised customers it will find a solution.
The Co-Op store at The Avenue, Minehead, first opened on the site of the former Minehead Bus Station in 1984 and its last day will be June 13. The post office branch will close a little earlier on June 9, at 17.30. A statement from the post office said: “We are working hard to restore service to the community as quickly as possible.”
He added: “I can assure you we are working hard to keep any downtime to a minimum.”
Customers will be able to shop at the Co-op in Alcombe, approximately 1.5 km away. However, to access the Post Office they will need to travel via West Somerset to Dunster and Timberscombe.
The statement said: “The Co-op is committed to serving the Minehead community through our Alcombe Road store, but we have made the difficult decision to close our store on The Avenue following the rejection of a planning application to redevelop the site to include a new purpose-built and sustainable Co-op store.
“Our priority is to fully support The Avenue store staff and we want to thank the community for their continued support of the Co-op in the city.”
Minehead and Tiverton MP Rachel Gilmour previously said the closures were “devastating”, while customers voiced their frustrations on social media. One called it “so sad” and “so embarrassing.”
The news comes just months after the supermarket chain announced it would expand its retail services in 2026. Called “Sussex to Stirling”, the Co-op will open 18 stores in the first quarter of 2026, including new and re-opened stores, following the investment.
The store said its “ongoing commitment to supporting British High Streets” is being realized with the opening of its first store in Willowbrook Park, Didcot (Oxfordshire) in 2026.
