Co-op has renewed its sponsorship across several Live Nation UK festivals for a further five years.
Originally signed in 2018, the extension will see the retailer remain as the official supermarket sponsor of Download, Latitude, Reading & Leeds and Creamfields until 2031.
Nuala Donnelly, head of partnerships and events at Co-op, said: "Our pop-up stores have rewritten the rules when it comes to accessing grocery essentials at festivals and changed consumer behaviour in terms of stocking-up on food and drink pre-event, helping festivalgoers to lighten their loads as they travel from home to the festival campsite.
“Importantly, for Co-op, our partnership with Live Nation UK has enabled us to engage with a new younger audience and we’ve now become part of their festival experience year after year. It’s a unique opportunity to recruit new members but also help shoppers to reappraise the quality of our own-brand food and showcase how we can successfully serve the varied needs of communities, even those that are in fields, with ease.”
Over the past eight years, Co-op's festival store offering has evolved to include Co-op membership benefits, while extending its product ranges and introducing numerous sustainability trials.
Our partnership has always been built around one simple idea: making festival life easier for our fans
Clair Cooper Matthews, Live Nation UK
Additionally, Co-op has utilised its festival partnerships to recruit new members aged 25-years-old and under. Recent data from the convenience retailer has shown that 70% of all new Co-op member sign-ups during the festival season are under the age of 25.
“Our partnership has always been built around one simple idea: making festival life easier for our fans," said Clair Cooper Matthews, SVP, strategic partnerships, Live Nation UK marketing partnerships. "Over the years, Co-op has become a trusted part of the festival experience.
“By tapping into the opportunities live music offers to reward existing members while reaching new audiences, Co-op has shown how live experiences can help build lasting relationships with customers that extend well beyond the festival weekend. We're delighted to be continuing our partnership for another five years and excited to see where we take it next.”
Co-op is also the naming rights partner of Manchester's Co-op Live, the UK’s largest indoor arena, also offering exclusive member benefits such as member pricing and first-in-line access to presale tickets, to sustainability and community initiatives.
Additionally, Co-op own-brand food is served throughout the venue, with several mini Co-op stores.
