Pop up shop opens at St Helens Hospital for key workers

Compass Group UK & Ireland and Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) have opened the store at the hospital for key workers in the community.

One of 20 pop-ups created at NHS hospitals in England, following the temporary closure of some retailers across the sites, the shop is designed to be open through the coronavirus crisis, to 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.

Manned by the hospital’s restaurant staff, the store 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.

St Helens Hospital

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, added: “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.”