MPK Garages has seen a “marked improvement” in its financial performance since partnering with Nisa last year, with its gross profit and margins increasing despite rising costs and intense competition.
The Top 50 Indie describes the move last year to co-brand its 28 forecourts with its Pop-In Daily and the symbol group fascia as ”transformative”, and says margins continue to improve in 2024.
In what it describes as a very challenging market, food-to-go, which is up 5% on the previous year, and convenience items have been contributing significantly to the growth.
Nisa’s “extensive product range”, including access to the Co-op own-brand, has enabled the business to expand its offer, and to differentiate its stores across its estate mainly in the Midlands, and along key transport routes such as the M5 between Birmingham and Bristol, and the M1 from Nottingham to Durham.
It describes the transition to Nisa as a sole supplier as a “pivotal move”, following years of operating its stores, ranging from 1,000sq ft to 3,000sq ft, under various banners.
MPK retail director Wayne Harrand says the partnership gives it flexibility to adapt its product range to fit the specific needs of each location, whether that is a focus on groceries or fresh, chilled products. ”This ability to tailor our offering is key to serving our diverse customer base and driving margin performance up by a further 1.8% in 2024, despite a challenging market conditions,” he says.
”Co-op’s fresh range, particularly their sandwiches and chilled snacks, has been a standout for our customers at Pop-In Daily stores with volume increasing by over 5% on the food to go category. This has enabled us to provide high-quality, fresh choices alongside everyday convenience items,” he adds.
Meanwhile, Wayne says that Nisa’s ”efficient supply chain”, has ensured product availability, with frequent deliveries and some locations receiving up to four drop-offs a week to keep pace with customer needs.
“Nisa’s support has been invaluable,” he says. ”Their efficient delivery systems, competitive pricing, and flexible case sizes have enabled stores to maintain high stock levels, particularly for fresh and chilled products. This has been crucial in meeting customer demand across our various locations as we continue to show growth year-on-year.”
