UK Food Retailer Co-op To Run Supermarkets At Live Nation Festivals

Visitors of four Live Nation festivals in the UK are going to have the opportunity to shop for essentials at proper retail stores this summer, courtesy of a partnership with Co-op.

The UK retail chain is going to set up 560 square meter shops in the campsite areas at Download Festival (Derbyshire, June 8-10), Latitude (Suffolk, July 12-15) as well as twin-festivals Reading and Leeds, Aug. 24-26, to cater for some 200,000 festivalgoers in total.

– Download Festival

The retailer promises that “each store will stock a wide range of items, including food, water, beer and wine, toiletries including medicines and, to cover all eventualities, both sun cream and rain ponchos!”

Shops will be open between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m., fully staffed and re-stock more than 200 “essential products” every day. Co-op promises a high number of tills.

Melvin Benn, MD of Live Nation’s Festival Republic, which promotes the festivals, said: “We want festivalgoers to have the best possible experience while at our events and are always looking for partnerships that enhance this. Having an environmentally-conscious food retailer like Co-op onsite will give fans easy access to all the products they need while at our festival campsites, while reinforcing our green principles. We look forward to working closely with Co-op throughout the summer.”

Amanda Jennings, director of marketing communications at Co-op, added: “This industry-first deal puts Co-op at the heart of festival communities this summer. It shows our ambition to reach out to new and younger customers, providing essential and quality products. Co-op is all about being close to the customer and it doesn’t get much closer than being right outside your tent.”