The supermarket in Bridge Street - which was given an internal refurbishment by the Somerfield chain only last year - will be fully
re-launched as a Co-op in the middle of next month after a £500,000 revamp and conversion.

All of Somerfield's branches across the UK will be converted to Co-op stores as part of a £36 million re-branding programme by the end of 2010, following the Co-operative Group's £1.56 billion purchase of the Somerfield chain.

The conversion will create the fifth new identity for the Bridge Street store since it opened as a Presto supermarket on March 14, 1995.

It has since been transformed into branches of Safeway, briefly Morrison's and then Somerfield.

The revamp will also leave the Co-op as the only supermarket chain with a presence in Rothesay in the form of the Bridge Street store and its convenience outlet in East Princes Street.

"We will meet all the community's daily food shopping needs and, in the best traditions of The Co-operative, make our contribution to community life," said the Co-operative's regional manager Michael Boylan.

The changeover should also see island shoppers given the full benefit of their Co-op Dividend loyalty card - a point which has caused some consternation among Somerfield's Bute customers since Co-op branded items began appearing on the store's shelves at the end of September.

Several shoppers had contacted The Buteman to complain that despite filling their baskets with the Co-op's own label goods, they were unable to use their Dividend cards at the store's checkouts.

Holders of the loyalty card are credited with approximately 5p for each pound they spend at Co-op stores on the company's 'own label' goods.
The cash accrued is returned to customers in the form of money-off vouchers twice each year.

One customer, Roger Clarke, told us he felt the company's Bute customers weren't being treated fairly by the firm.

"I phoned the Co-op and asked why they were selling Co-op products in Somerfield but not taking the card and was told that they have up to two years to get it up and running.

"I told her that I felt they weren't playing the game - they're saying to people that this is the Co-op, with all the 'welcome to the family'
banners and so on, but in the meantime you won't be getting your 'divi'."

News that Rothesay would be among the first locations to enjoy a full Co-op conversion follows months of local concern that prices might rise as a result of the company now having an almost total monopoly of food shopping on Bute - though the company has promised "thousands of price reductions on key lines across the store".

It also seems likely that the premises will have to close for a short period for the conversion work, though a spokeswoman for the Co-op told us that the person managing the project was on holiday, and she was thus unable to provide detailed information as to if or when the shop would have to close, or for how long.

We hope to be able to provide more information on this point very soon.