Co-op Wholesale’s Nisa is set to serve the Devonshire village of Clyst St Mary as the retailer switched symbol group after over almost 40 years of being affiliate with Londis.
Having opened to the public from Monday (20), the new Nisa convenience 1,800 sq ft unit will benefit from access to Co-op brand goods specialising in food to go, drinks, top-up shopping trips and food for tonight, with a strong focus on its popular in-store bakery.
Post Office and traditional village shop facilities will be located within to best serve the local Exeter community.
Mike Howe, who now operates the shop as Nisa X Mills Stores, where his family have served the village for generations, made the decision to join Nisa thanks to the ability to range Co-op brand food and drink and share the market-leading promotions with his customers.
Howe said: “Having been in convenience retail for so long, I’ve learnt it’s vital to keep moving with the times if you’re to stay busy and service your customer base well. Increasingly, our shoppers want excellent quality products, at a fair price, that are available when they need them, which is why Nisa was such a huge pull.
"The Co-op range is modern, varied, delicious and well-priced, not to mention well-recognised, so we’re sure our shoppers will be pleased to be able to shop it in our new store.”
Nisa - Co-op Wholesale’s symbol fascia – offers a strong local independence model backed by national buying power, which is viewed as the best of both worlds and has been pivotal in the uptake of Nisa stores in villages wanting to support local producers and fulfil shoppers’ needs for great value and well-stocked product range.
As part of the switch, Howe will receive a £500 donation from Co-op Wholesale’s charity, MADL (Making A Difference Locally), to kickstart his community funds.
Established in 2008, it exists to support its retail partners the communities they serve. His chosen charity is The Firefighters Charity, which provides mental, physical and social support to members of the UK fire service and their families for life.
Ian King, Business Development and Growth Director at Co‑op Wholesale, said: “We’re delighted that Mike has chosen to continue his convenience retail business with Co‑op Wholesale and Nisa. His decision reflects the strength of our proposition and the trust retailers place in our commercial model, the Co‑op brand and the support we provide to help them grow.”
The new contract comes as Co‑op Wholesale sees increasing interest from retailers seeking a more transparent, simplified and future-ready symbol model.