The Ascona Group has agreed to all its 37 sites being supplied by Nisa Retail. The Top 50 Indie, based in

Pembrokeshire, agreed terms just ahead of the outbreak of Covid-19, but that has not hampered the transition of the first 12 stores moving across to Nisa.

The remaining sites will be gradually moved over as current contracts end with other suppliers.

The Ascona Group is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the forecourt sector with an ever-growing portfolio of retail outlets and is now positioned at number nine in the latest Top 50 Indies listing.

All stores are set to take on the latest Nisa Evolution fascia and store formats over the coming months with the first outlets due to be converted as soon as work can re-commence following recent restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus.

The stores vary in size from 800sq ft to around 3,000sq ft and are located across large parts of the country including the Midlands, the South-East, Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire and as far north as Cumbria, as well as stores near its Head Office based in Pembrokeshire.

The decision to join forces with Nisa was driven by the desire for improved availability and access to the Co-op own brand range as well as to enjoy the support available from the wider Nisa team.

Head of key accounts at Nisa, Victoria Lockie, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with the team at Ascona and am very much looking forward to supporting them as they continue to grow their service station estate.”

Retail trading director at Ascona, Paul Stoddart added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Nisa and looking forward to improving our retail convenience offering across our entire estate. This new supply agreement will increase our product range and availability with the ability to stock the Co-op own-label range."

“Our customers will enjoy an improved instore offering in line with our retail strategy as our network increases across the UK in the coming months. This new convenience offering will enable our stores to remain competitive in an ever more challenging market environment and ultimately exceed customer expectations.”