The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has added 202 Nisa stores to its membership. 

This brings the SGF’s membership numbers to over 1,700.

“This is great news for both SGF and Nisa,” said SGF chief executive John Drummond. “The principle of strength in numbers is vital to SGF so that we can speak with more authority and clout when representing the interests of independent grocers across Scotland and Nisa’s membership will add to this strength.

“These are challenging times for retailers and there is no shortage of regulation and laws coming from Holyrood, some good and some bad but most adding to the burden of our members,” added Drummond. “With Nisa’s support we look forward to taking these challenges head on.”

Nisa group sales director Andrew J. Mouse hoped that joining the SGF would help in the fight against red tape.

“There is great benefit, for us and for our members, in joining the SGF,” he said. “Given the amount of red tape that too often seems to have a strangle hold on our industry, it pays to have an organisation with a clear agenda to lobby for the best interests of independent retailers. We’re delighted to be joining and look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership.”

Earlier this year the SGF added 330 Spar stores and 250 Premier stores to its membership. Drummond said these additions were the result of a re-evaluation of its membership policy which involved targeting symbol groups rather than individual stores.