News and Trends

 Namnews,  29th January 2024 Nisa has highlighted the growth potential of its forecourt convenience estate after experiencing its strongest year of recruitment since 2018. Speaking to trade magazine The Grocer, the symbol group’s Managing Director Peter Batt revealed that it had recruited 118 forecourt stores in 2023, expanding its reach to 410 sites overall. He noted that Nisa was looking at ways to grow its forecourt proposition, including adding electric vehicle charging facilities, seating areas, and an improved food-to-go offering. Batt said: “We’re looking to understand the petrol market forecourt market and what consumers are looking for. Our insight tells that growth at fuel sites is potentially higher than in a core convenience store, so we really believe that forecourts are a great opportunity for us.” He told The Grocer that shop sales at forecourt sites had risen by 35% in the past five years. “Consumers will always need to fill up or charge up their car, and we ca...

Namnews, 1st February 2023 It has been revealed Nisa is set to roll out a new tiered planogram subscription service, with claims it can boost sales in some categories by over 20%. According to trade publication betterRetailing.com, the model will be available from 16 February with the wholesaler’s retailers offered four levels that are charged at different monthly rates. The report revealed that the entry-level tier will offer a “range list by concept store size”, while the next £20 tier provides weekly planogram maintenance and a regular list of substitutes and delists. Meanwhile, betterRetailing.com said the enhanced level starts from £30 and offers space and range reviews, while the highest “bespoke” level will provide planograms tailored to customer requirements alongside dedicated resources. The report noted that the pricing of the bespoke level is determined by individual customer requirements.

Namnews, 27th September 2022 Nisa has kicked off its annual trade show today by announcing a multi-million-pound investment in the Co-op own brand range. The £5m investment will include over 1,000 price reductions that will be live to Nisa retailers from next week with the top 100 most frequently purchased products all set to fall in price. Co-op Fairtrade bananas, free-range eggs, ice cubes, carrots, bacon and pasta twists are included in the list. Nisa’s newly appointed Managing Director, Peter Batt, commented: “Co-op own brand is absolutely key to our offer for independent retailers, more so than ever before as shoppers struggle with the increasing cost of living. “This investment in the price of more than 1,000 Co-op own label products will support our retailers, ensuring they stay competitive, helping them to drive sales and margin during ever challenging times.” Alongside the price investment, Nisa is introducing a core essentials range. Unveiled at the Nisa Expo, the 330 Co-op o...

Namnews, 24th February 2022 Nisa is working on an overhaul of its Local format that will see a greater focus on sustainability, ranging, and merchandising to meet the needs of today’s shopper. The move also aims to make the format more “operationally efficient” for retailers. Speaking to trade publication The Grocer, the symbol group’s head of format Darren May said: “We’re reinventing the Nisa Local format and its proposition to drive the modern-day consumer.” Key changes include product refill stations becoming an “integral part” of the store layout. Co-op own-label ranges will also be enhanced by making better use of planograms and product placement. May is quoted as saying: “It’s about how we can use signage and display the product to emphasise these credentials. It’s a different way of utilising the planograms than we’ve ever done before and displaying the brand so it doesn’t just sit with the core range, it enhances it far more.” May told The Grocer that Nisa is also looking to b...

Namnews, 2nd February 2022 Nisa has revealed that it wants to increase the number of its new Express format stores to 50 by the end of this year. The group currently has 10 Nisa Express stores in its symbol estate having launched the format  last year  to provide a dedicated fascia option for smaller convenience and forecourt sites. Aimed at stores up to 1,000 sq. ft., the format has been developed with three different configurations – food-centric, forecourt, and essentials. Nisa has said that each design differs to meet the demands of the shopper with the range tailored for the specific market. Speaking to trade publication Convenience Store, Nisa’s Head of Store Development & Category Management Darren May said: “When it was pitched to Nisa, it was clear that we weren’t going to see the sort of numbers that we’ve seen other Nisa formats do. This is more about providing a solution that really truly supports this size of store and making sure we’ve got the right propositi...

Namnews, 31st January 2022 Nisa is offering its retailers more information on customer insights and market trends as part of a drive to provide improved business support. The new insight hub has launched on Nisa’s order capture system, giving retailers access to information and data designed to help them boost sales. Along with regularly updated infographics sharing latest insights, the hub will provide event messaging and seasonal planograms created by Nisa’s category management team. Since the early days of the first lockdown, Nisa’s retailers have been presented with weekly data offering insights and information throughout the pandemic and outlining key issues to address to support them in their drive to grow sales. The new hub builds on this existing knowledge sharing and aims to ensure retailers have access to a raft of detail taken from an array of data, research and reports available to Nisa’s insight team. Charlotte Westacott, Insight Lead at Nisa, said: “As part of our strateg...

Namnews, 14th January 2022 The Co-op’s Honest Value range has been made available to all Nisa retailers as shoppers look to make savings on their food budget amid rising energy prices, tax rises and wider inflation. The range includes a selection of essentials across categories including fruit, vegetables, ready meals, soft drinks, and dairy, as well as household goods. Honest Value was initially made available to eligible Nisa stores last year which stocked a set number of Co-op own-label products across its core and Irresistable ranges. However, it has now been extended to all retailers in response to the growing demand from shoppers for competitive prices. Nisa’s Trading Director Ayaz Alam said: “We have seen great success for the Co-op own brand from Nisa partners with more than 90% now participating in the range across all tiers. “The need for value is more important than ever before and we want to make sure Nisa partners are well placed to offer their shoppers a choice across all...

A fast expanding Nisa retailer which has opened four stores since May has said it is on the hunt for more sites. Amacor Capital now operates 16 stores but says that it wants to nearly double this by the end of next year. The four stores it has opened since May are in Hebden Bridge, Bradford, Newton-le-Willows and Wrexham. They include three former Co-ops. Alex Wilson, Amacor’s head of acquisitions, said: “We have a healthy pipeline and are actively looking for new sites across the North of England, Midlands and North Wales with ambitions to surpass 30 stores by the end of next year.” Nisa’s Head of Retail, Victoria Lockie said: “Working with such ambitious and progressive retailers like Amacor is really exciting and the pace at which acquisitions are made and stores start trading is really fantastic.”

Namnews, 10th May 2021 Nisa has announced the date for its annual trade show, which for the second year running will be held as a virtual event. Using the same online platform introduced for the convenience group’s 2020 Nisa Expo, the two-day event this year will take place on 28th and 29th September. John McNeill, Chief Operating Officer at Nisa, said: “The Nisa Expo has been at the very heart of Nisa for more than 20 years, providing the perfect opportunity for exhibitors and partners to interact, help each other grow their businesses, get the latest news and advice from suppliers and learn more about the benefits of being part of Nisa and the Co-op. “Last year we took the decision to hold our first virtual exhibition, and it worked really well with more than 1,000 partners registering to attend and around 3,000 partner appointments scheduled. “We decided that due to these ongoing uncertain times, holding a virtual event makes much more sense, keeping everyone safe while reducing tim...

Nisa has announced that 9 out of 10 of its retailers are now stocking the Co-op own range brand, accounting for 13% of all Nisa sales. Ayaz Alam, Nisa’s trading director, said: “Co-op own brand products have been enormously popular with our retailers and their shoppers, and our best in market fresh has helped double store turnover for our partners.” Among the Nisa retailers who have made a success of the partnership is Sunny Mann of Nisa Local Mansfield. He said: “We stock 900 Co-op lines and fresh has completely changed our business. “Customers come to us now, they do not have to go to the supermarket and we have doubled our basket spend.” Dan Brown, owner of Nisa Local Pinkie Farm in Musselburgh, said: “The fresh range in Co-op own label is excellent and allows us to compete at the highest level so shoppers are coming to us before they even think of going to a supermarket.” Richard Kent, of Evington Village Store in Leicestershire, said: “The margins are good, it is a well known and ...

Namnews, 9th April 2021 In its annual results statement yesterday, the Co-op shared some insights into the performance of its Nisa Retail wholesale business and future plans. The division’s sales rose 10.8% to £1.58bn over year to 2 January and recorded a profit of £6m against a £10m loss in 2019. The Nisa symbol business also signed up 624 new independent stores, marking a 19.1% increase against budget and building on strong recruitment figures the previous year. The Co-op said: “We’ve seen significant sales growth for our Nisa partners, who’ve benefited from the broader range of products we’re able to supply them, particularly within the fresh categories.” The group stated it would be improving its wholesale operation through a “radical overhaul of partner terms and conditions”, expansion of the offer and range, and recruitment of more independent stores and Co-op franchises. To build on its recruitment success, Nisa is currently overhauling its partner terms to make them “simpler an...

  www.talkingretail.com Nisa posted strong trading figures for the 52-weeks to 2 January, with sales up 10.8% to £1.6bn, Co-op’s annual results reveal. During 2020, the symbol group signed up 624 new stores, building on strong recruitment figures in 2019. In its annual results, Co-op said: “We’ve seen significant sales growth for our Nisa partners, who’ve benefited from the broader range of products we’re able to supply them, particularly within the fresh categories.” Nisa is currently overhauling its partner terms to make them “simpler and more rewarding of loyalty” and will continue to “add value” to partners through the newly-launched brand proposition, Fresh Thinking, which will provide partners with the “insight, tools, support and product innovation needed to grow their businesses”. In its annual results, Co-op said its wholesale business achieved sales of £1.6bn, compared to £1.4bn in 2019. The retailer reported revenue of £11.5bn for the 12-month period, with ...

  www.talkingretail.com Nisa Retail has today (26 March) unveiled a £2m investment in price reductions. The symbol group told its partner Nisa Live event that the move will see many items reduced in price on branded, as well as Co-op own-brand products, as part of its Fresh Thinking proposition to help partners meet changing shopper habits. The investment has reduced the wholesale price of many Co-op Own brand products, including Chicken Fillets, Baked Beans, and Flour, and is available to partners now. The investment in own brand will not only support partner margin on individual product lines, but will increase bottom line POR, Nisa said. Additional investment on branded items – including Lucozade, KitKat, and Cathedral City Cheese – will enable partners to stay competitive in an evolving market, the symbol group added. Ken Towle, chief executive of Nisa Retail, said: “We continually work hard to secure the...