Nisa now supplies over 5,000 convenience stores with stock and retail support. This follows another good year for recruitment with 401 stores signing up to the group over the 35 weeks to September.
In 2020, a record 624 stores joined Nisa over the full year.
Nisa revealed the figures at its annual Expo event this week. It said that June was the strongest month for store recruitment, followed by March and January respectively, while the Greater London region saw the most sign-ups geographically. Numbers were also boosted by the recruitment of several large, multi-site accounts.
Nisa claimed its success was partly due to it developing new store formats that allow it to serve a range of independent operators. This includes its recently launched Nisa Express format which provides a dedicated fascia option for smaller convenience and forecourt sites. Of the 401 new stores this year, 128 converted to Nisa’s latest Evolution format.
The recruitment drive has also been supported by investments in price and distribution. Earlier this year, Nisa announced £2m of price reductions on own label and branded items to help its retailers remain competitive.
Alongside this, significant investment in Nisa’s logistics and delivery network was pledged as part of the group’s new commitment to being the “number one distribution partner of choice for independent retailers”.
Steve Leach, Sales Director at Nisa, said: “Following a record year for recruitment in 2020, we are pleased to be continuing this momentum this year with 401 new partner stores on board.
“The sustained growth in new partners and stores is testament not only to the brilliant team at Nisa, who have gone above and beyond during the past 18 months in continually challenging circumstances, but to the strength of Nisa’s proposition for independent retailers. This is where we strike the balance between recruitment and the support of existing partners, through our fresh thinking approach to partner support, competitive pricing and an unrivalled own brand range.”
NAM Implications:
- Begging the question:
- ‘Have you taken steps necessary to secure and maintain your fair share of the increase?’
