On the 28^th July 1958 Mr. A. A. Grove retired and Mr. B. J. H. Waller became General Secretary and for the next few years until the early 1960s the expansion peaked

The only chemists shop in the town, Bennett’s 102 High Street, was purchased.

Two new grocery branch shops in nearby Barton Seagrave were built, one in Gotch Road and one in Belvoir Drive, the two mobile grocery shops were sold and their operators became the branch managers of these two shops

Masons Garage in the High Street was purchased so now the Co-op could offer petrol and car sales and repairs as well as to their own vehicles, which had been serviced there by the Mason family.

A second garage, Broughton Motors, situated on the A43 between Kettering and Northampton was also purchased which was a similar business.

So the Co-op could now supply almost everything a household needed and over a wider area and, if requested, there was free delivery of anything in the shops.

Above: The shops later to be incorporated in the new department store. Below: The extended store in 1969 showing the various departments.

In 1969 the whole of the interior of the Central Store from the Hardware to the Electrical Departments was opened up and made into one large Department Store. It was officially opened by Jimmy Perry the co-writer of ‘Dad's Army’ who had served with Mr. Waller in the R.A.F. Mr. Waller retired c 1976 and Mr. D. F. Mawby became General Secretary.

In 1979, 100 High Street, the shop to the right of the chemist’s shop was purchased and combined with the existing shop to double the size of the chemists.