The Co-operative Food and NUS announced ground-breaking supermarket discount for students at more than 3,600 participating Co-operative food stores across UK

17-9-2013 — /EuropaWire/ — The Co-operative Food and NUS today (Friday 13 September, 2013) announced a ground-breaking deal that will see students with an NUS extra card receive a 10% discount on all groceries*, at more than 3,600 participating Co-operative food stores** across the UK.

As the first supermarket to offer such a deal for students, the new partnership is available to almost 600,000 students with an NUS extra card***, who will receive a discount at Co-operative food stores from Monday 23 September.

CJ Antal-Smith, Head of Commercial – Grocery at The Co-operative Food, said:

“Students are facing increasing financial pressures while studying, and are becoming more savvywhen it comes to food shopping. We wanted to help students, many of whom are living away from home for the first time, to live and cook on a budget. “As a community-based retailer, with a store in every UK postal area, The Co-operative is ideal for students picking up food on their way to and from lectures.“By offering a 10 per cent discount with an NUS extra card, we’re giving a big incentive for students to make good, healthy choices about the food they eat.”

NUS extra uses collective purchasing power to champion students by enabling access to exclusive promotional deals through the card, sales of which put millions of pounds annually back into student unions.

Raechel Mattey, NUS Vice President said:

“When we asked our students what they most wanted from NUS extra, a supermarket deal was the overwhelming answer. We’re so proud to be able to partner with The Co-operative on this, because of its ethical food policies and its support for Fairtrade. “This deal reflects the realities of students’ lives by addressing finance and the rising cost of living, nutrition and student lifestyle priorities. We want parents and students to know that between us NUS and The Co-operative will ensure students thrive.”

Additional Information:

*Additional participating Co-operative societies:

• Anglia
• Midcounties
• Midlands
• Scottish Midlands
• Southern

**Discount

Exclusions apply: Baby milk, stamps, saving schemes, National Lottery & Health Lottery purchases, gift vouchers, phone cards, continuity programmes, in-store concessions, PayPoint, currency, fuel, cigarettes & tobacco, newspaper delivery and electrical goods.

***NUS Extra

NUS Extra is available to all students aged over 16 years, including distance learners and vocational students. It costs just £12 for a full 12 months of savings from the date of purchase.

The Co-operative Group

The Co-operative Group is the UK’s largest mutual business, owned by nearly eight million members.  It is the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer operating across the country with almost 2,800 local, convenience and medium-sized stores, and is also one of Britain’s leading farming operations.  The Group’s banking business operates through over 300 high street branches and 22 corporate centres with telephony and online channels.

Among its other businesses are the number one funeral services provider, the third largest pharmacy chain and a growing legal services provider.  As well as having clear financial and operational objectives, the Group is a recognised leader and pioneer in its social goals and community-led programmes. The Group operates 4,800 retail trading outlets, employs more than 95,000 people and has an annual turnover of more than £13bn.

Further information is available at www.co-operative.coop
NUS

National Union of Students is a voluntary membership organisation which makes a real difference to the lives of students and its member students’ unions. We are a confederation of 600 students’ unions, amounting to more than 95 per cent of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Through our member students’ unions, we represent the interests of more than seven million students.
NUS Services

NUS Services is the commercial arm of the National Union of Students, which resources the student movement. NUS leads a prosperous and sustainable student movement with financial viability.

Through NUS Extra, and our collective purchasing power, students’ unions are thriving and influence big business.