THE Somerfield store at Bordon's Forest Shopping Centre could be set to change, following an announcement that the Co-operative Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Somerfield for £1.5bn. Somerfield operates about 880 grocery retail outlets across the UK. In the year to April 2008, it generated net sales of £4.2bn. The combined food business will operate more than 3,000 grocery stores and generate net sales of about £8bn, making it the fifth largest food retailer in the UK, with a market share of approximately eight per cent. Peter Marks, chief executive of the Co-operative Group, said: "This is good news for consumers and for competition in the grocery market, where we will create a stronger fifth player in food, and a convenience store chain with unrivalled geographic reach. The acquisition of Somerfield will provide the rocket fuel for our three-year growth plan. Under this plan, we are revitalising our retail estate under a single unified brand - modernising our stores and improving our product offer and service levels for customers and members." A Co-op spokesman could not confirm what will happen to individual stores because the sale is not yet completed.
