Nisa is still to deliver on promised regional face-to-face meetings with retailers, designed to address ongoing issues with deliveries, availability and pricing. 

Shortly after Michael Fletcher replaced Ken Towle as the wholesaler’s boss in January, Nisa retailers were promised a number of regional events allowing them to discuss issues they were experiencing alongside potential solutions. 

Store owners claimed they were still waiting for these meetings to happen. One Nisa partner, who asked not to be named, criticised the lack of clarity. 

They told Better Retailing: “We’ve heard nothing about dates for regional meetings after retailers asked if it would be possible to sit down with the buying teams to discuss any issues.” 

However, Better Retailing understands that Fletcher has been visiting retailers across England to receive feedback on any issues affecting their stores, with the intention of addressing the problems through a number of updates. 

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The regional meetings had been temporarily scrapped in 2020 to help the wholesaler prepare for a retail summit event during that same year. 

Store owners also claimed there was an absence in meetings between Nisa and its retail monitoring group. 

The group was set up in 2018 and consisted of six Nisa retailers representing different regions of the UK. Its purpose is to raise any concerns with the wholesaler’s senior leadership team. 

However, one retailer claimed there had been no monitoring group meeting this year. They told Better Retailing: “There’s not been a Nisa monitoring group meeting since Fletcher came in. The lack of meetings has answered a lot of my questions about the company. The last monitoring group meeting was around Christmas.” 

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Another store owner added: “It’s all just false promises. We’ve got issues with deliveries and pricing. The whole purpose of the monitoring group was to raise issues like this, but Nisa isn’t listening. That was the main route for retailers to speak to Nisa. 

“There’s no communication from head office to members, and how do retailers communicate with Nisa directly?” 

Asked to provide more clarity on regional meetings and the monitoring group, a Nisa spokesperson said: “Nisa is committed to communicating with its retailers through a variety of channels designed to reach the whole partnership. 

“We continue to develop and explore engaging ways of sharing valuable insight and information with our partners and look forward to meeting with them at our forthcoming Nisa Expo at Stoneleigh this September.” 

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