Nisa has defended its new levy system for low and missed orders despite a chorus of opposition from members (C-Store, September 21, 2007).
"Many retailers are hugely unhappy with these new levies," said one Costcutter retailer, who did not wish to be named. "They are bullying us into paying these charges. I have a very small c-store and it will be virtually impossible for me to order the required number of cases of chilled when the limit goes up in January."
He added that he knew of several retailers who were looking to switch to Premier or other groups as a result of the charges.
A Nisa Local retailer in the south west also contacted the C-Store office. He said: "Smaller retailers will really struggle to meet these new targets."
John Sharpe, managing director of Nisa Central Distribution, told C-Store that all members had been asked to review their delivery schedules to improve efficiency, and the levies were put in place to incentivise this.
He said: "As a group we are suffering 3,000 missing orders a week and this creates significant costs. Members want to see their supply chain operating efficiently."
Costcutter executive chairman Colin Graves told C-Store that while he supported the principle of maximising efficiency, he would have preferred a longer notice period. He added that any Costcutter retailer with a complaint would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.