Signage installed as social supermarket Community Shop gears up to open in Sunderland
Signage has been installed at Sunderland’s new social supermarket as it gears up to open later this month.
Part of a pioneering network of social supermarkets, which redistributes surplus stock and tackles food inequality, the Sunderland branch of the Community Shop will open at 9.30am on March 26, 2026.
Work is ongoing to transform 30-32 Fawcett Street, between The William Jameson JD Wetherspoon pub and the former city central library site, which was most recently home to the council’s customer centre, but has been empty for some years.
The new store is part of Company Shop Group, but its Community Shops are more geared towards helping low-income families and people.
The new store, which will be the 16th Community Shop in the network, is being opened thanks to long-term partner Ocado Retail, whose UK Customer Hub is based in the city at The Beam.
Sunderland City Council and the Voluntary Sector Alliance are also supporting the store, which will sell deeply discounted food and households products, as well as providing life-changing support through its Community Hub and Community Kitchen
Who is eligible to shop at Community Shop?
The shop operates on a membership basis and is free for people who live nearby and qualify for a means-tested benefit.
To join, apply online here https://www.companyshop.co.uk/join-community-shop/personal-details or get in touch in store when it opens.
Means-tested benefits include things like Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Tax Credits, Housing Benefit and Universal Credit.
What will be in the Community Shop?
Community Shop Fawcett Street will provide support to hundreds of local people and families through its three distinct but interconnected spaces:
*Community Store. The Community Store will provide access to deeply discounted food and household essentials, including its Plenty for 20 range which provides fruit, vegetables and bread for only 20p.
*Community Hub. Profits will be reinvested into the Community Hub, which will deliver life-changing holistic support and development programmes, empowering people across the local community to learn new skills and build their confidence.
*Community Kitchen. The Community Kitchen is a café that will enable people to connect with others and will offer home-cooked meals, with kids eating for free every day.