Nisa invests to be distribution partner of choice for independent retailers
- Significant investment to improve delivery service for partners and enhance the distribution network, including new delivery fleets and upgrades to depot sites
- Focus on data driven development to improve efficiencies
- Commitment to market leading availability across all categories reiterated
At today’s virtual conference, Nisa announced it is investing in its logistics and delivery network as part of a new commitment to being the number one distribution partner of choice for independent retailers. Following a year of unprecedented turmoil globally, Nisa has maintained its market leading levels of availability and today’s announcement will help ensure the current level of 97.5% availability across all categories is maintained into 2021.
Nisa is investing to enhance service levels across the network, making delivery faster, more efficient and easier for partners to use. This includes a substantial investment in new vehicles as part of Nisa’s ‘fleet refresh’ programme, helping to secure new specialist temperature-controlled vehicles. Alongside the significant investment in its vehicle fleet, Nisa is upgrading its depot sites, with improvements in refrigeration and freeze plants underway to cater to the growing partner demand for Fresh.
Also announced was a continued improvement of delivery methods, including how independent retailers receive chilled goods to minimize unpacking and stacking costs and improve efficiency. Planned for H2 2021, a new electronic proof of delivery system (e-POD) will enable a simpler paperless sign off process on delivery. The new e-POD system forms part of Nisa’s focus on data driven development to enhance the efficiency of its distribution model, alongside investment in its transport planning system to support data collection, improve the identification of trends and ultimately reduce layers of cost within the wholesale model.
The recently launched Fresh Thinking proposition has been designed to help partners better meet changing shopper habits and customer demand, and the commitments made to enhance the distribution network are a significant example of how partners are provided with the business support to be able to create the best customer offer.
Distribution Charter
As part of its commitment to being the distribution partner of choice, Nisa has today launched its Distribution Charter, which lays out clear promises to partners with regards to the logistics and distribution network.
Our focus for 2021 is to enhance our data collection methods within the logistics operation, helping us to better identify trends and reduce layers of cost.
Nisa will aim to publish key performance information relating to distribution, for example number of deliveries on time and routed out statistics, in order to increase transparency. Partners are encouraged to use the forums and engage with RDMs to feedback to senior management and to ensure partner voices are heard.
John McNeill, Chief Operating Officer, said: “Today’s investment to improve the efficiency, reliability and ease-of-use of our service will ensure Nisa is able to maintain its market leading levels of availability and improve the distribution service for our partners. We want to ensure we are the wholesale delivery partner of choice for independent retailers and the significant investment, alongside our Charter, shows we are serious about this; it is important our partners have all the tools in place to grow their businesses, and that process starts with distribution.”
Kerinne Oliver, Head of Logistics, said: “The distribution network is central to our wholesale proposition - the investment in replacing vehicles, upgrades to depot sites and data driven development will all streamline efficiencies and improve delivery service levels for partners. Our focus for 2021 is to enhance our data collection methods within the logistics operation, helping us to better identify trends and reduce layers of cost.”