A Co-op supermarket that has served a Swindon suburb for decades is set to shut its doors before Christmas

It was announced that The Co-op in Rodbourne Cheney had been sold to Tesco and would be closing its doors to allow for the transition between companies. 

Now, the closure date for the Cheney Manor Road shop has been revealed.

It will close for the final time on Saturday, December 24 at 4pm. 

The Post Office that is inside will be closing the day earlier on December 23, and the last post from it will be Thursday, December 22 due to the Royal Mail strike. 

The cashpoint in the wall outside the building was removed on December 15.

The store will then remain closed for between 2-3 months and is expected to reopen in February as a brand-new Tesco. 

It is expected that the Post Office will be retained inside the new Tesco and will reopen around then as well. 

Midcounties Co-operative confirmed that there would be no job losses from this closure, as all of the staff working at the Co-op, some who have been there for years, will be retained by Tesco when it re-opens or moved to another branch nearby.

When the store's closure was confirmed, a spokesperson for The Midcounties Co-operative said: “We regularly review our property portfolio to ensure we are providing the best value for our members and the local communities we serve.

"As a result, the Rodbourne Cheney site was identified as not fitting with the long-term strategy of the Society and we have taken the difficult decision to sell the store.

“We are pleased to have been able to secure a sale of the store to Tesco, who will continue to run a store on the site, including the Post Office. This means that all colleagues’ jobs will be protected with their employment either transferring to Tesco, or another part of the Midcounties’ business."

A second, as yet unknown, shop is also planned for the building, with the entrance planned for where the cashpoint used to be.

It has been a year of change for the company in Swindon. 

It has recently opened two new stores, one in Abbey Farm and one on Pipers Way. 

But on top of the closure of this store, it has also closed the Co-op and Post Office in Gorse Hill for the same reasons.