Pop-up retail store opens at Peterborough Cty Hospital to support healthcare workers

The store is one of 20 created at NHS hospitals across the country following the temporary closure of some retailers across the sites.

It is designed to be open through the coronavirus crisis.

It will provide NHS key workers with access to a core range of everyday essentials, such as bread and milk, as well as basic meal solutions, confectionery products and household items such as toilet rolls and soaps.

The venture has been jointly put together by catering giant, the Compass Group, which employs 50,000 people providing food for workers, school children, hospital patients, military and visitors at major sports and cultural events, and the Costcutter Supermarket chain.

The pop-up store will be operated by the hospital’s restaurant staff, and will mainly make use of existing equipment within the hospital for the display of products.

Health and safety control measures to meet coronavirus guidelines are in place throughout the store.

Andrew Jones, Compass Group UK & Ireland’s Managing Director of Healthcare Retail, said: “At this time of unprecedented demand on NHS staff, it is vital that they have easy access to everyday essentials.

“By putting in place these pop-up stores, we can take away a small amount of the pressure they are feeling at this challenging time.”

Bill Randles, Head of National Retail Accounts at Costcutter Supermarkets Group, said: “With a number of retail units forced to close due to the Covid-19 crisis, it is vitally important that the NHS staff at these hospitals can easily get hold of core grocery and household products that they need.

“That’s why we have worked hard to open these stores in record time and while the range of products that we are offering in these stores is limited by the facilities, we are confident that NHS key workers will find these everyday essentials helpful.”