Co-op dealerships in £250m revamp

THE Co-operative Group has stepped its £1.5bn rebrand up a gear with the revamp of its motor dealerships.

The Manchester-based group is ploughing £250m into 19 showrooms which until now have traded under the Sunwin Motors brand.

They will now been renamed The Co-operative Motor Group. The move is the latest phase of the Co-operative Group’s rebrand programme, which is the biggest in UK corporate history. More than two thirds of its 5,000 outlets have been rebranded over the last two years.

Managing director Mike Austin said: “Sunwin has worked hard to establish a trusted reputation in the Midlands and the north and we intend to build on that by adopting The Co-operative’s strong brand.”

“The relaunch of the Co-operative Group has been a major success and the strong financial performance shows real trust in our brand.”

The first of the group’s dealerships to be rebranded will be the Renault dealership in Preston.