New retail group Haldanes aims to return shopping to the heart of the community with an emphasis on locally sourced products. The group hopes to provide a local alternative in its four Scottish branches, which will also be supplied by Nisa-Today's.

Haldanes chairman Arthur Harris and chief executive officer Graeme Hay acquired the four former Somerfield sites from the Co-operative Group earlier this year and plan to open more stores throughout the UK.

"We appreciate the role that shops like ours can play in local communities and it's our intention to give something back and to be an integral part of the community," said Harris. "We wish to get back to the days when the local store was the hub of community life."

Harris is a former managing director of Osprey Forecourts, who has worked with Somerfield and Budgens, and Hay is a former operations director of wholesaler and retail chain Aberness.

The company also plans to source more than a third of its stock from local suppliers. "The local knowledge at our disposal is particularly important because it means that we are able to tailor the product according to local tastes," said Harris.