Co-op supermarket, Lower Marsh

In the item about St John's Waterloo beating the parish bounds was a mention that the new Co-op supermarket at the corner of Lower Marsh and Westminster Bridge Road has remained closed for almost 6 months.

I received this email from Co-op's Customer Careline on 19 March:

I am writing further to your enquiry as to when the Co-operative Group store on the corner of Westminster Bridge Road and Lower Marsh will open. May I sincerely apologise for the delay in the opening of this store and I completely understand the frustration which this must be causing you.

I have spoken to the Operations Manager of our stores in the SE1 postal district. He tells me that, although the store you are referring to looks finished, there are still various issues regarding its construction which means it cannot currently open. The operations Manager is as keen as you are for this store to open and he promises that the store will open as soon as practically possible. At the moment, however, the Operations Manager has no information as to when this will be.

I hope you find this an acceptable resolution to your complaint, but please feel free to contact me again if you need any further assistance.

Yours sincerely,

John Robinson
Customer Careline

I suggested that they may like to post a notice to this effect on the door, which Mr Robinson acknowledged was a good idea, but still the handwritten "Closed" notice remains there.

Such a shame its not open. Losing lots of business.

Still closed!!

I can honestly say I have seen whole buildings completed quicker than this store has sat empty 'looking finished but not really'. It's just totally bizarre, do companies get to offset this sort of thing against tax?

I have tried to get answers from the Co-Op's press office about this on more than one occasion without success.

Bizarrely, last December the shop had bilingual Gaelic/English signs installed:
https://twitter.com/se1/status/541978124351987712

This is just making it seem even more attractive. This supermarket needs to open!

I think a Waitrose will open there instead. Certainly around the station area for a few reasons.

're retail mysteries what on earth is happening or not at snacklite cafe opposite Southwark tube station. Lots of mess there for two or more months. Perhaps a new deli or mini Waitrose ......???

I walk past every day - there is so much foot fall past the shop I am really surprised it's not open. Would buy my lunch in there daily.

Does anyone know the latest on what's happening with this store when it will finally open??

This morning I had a text from O2 offering £1 off when I shop at the Co-op in Lower Marsh.

The shop is still closed though the lights are on and there are signs of activity inside.