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Mark Spenser

I may be confused but I cannot see a comparison? Wm Low was a Scottish supermarket chain wanted by JS and Tesco who had 3 and 17 sites north of the border, and so offered a strong portfolio to the successful bidder.

Nisa by contrast is a wholesaler that like rival P&H has been rocked by a changing market and loss of business. A budding war seems unlikely with these conditions especially if other customers follow the recent departures in switching suppliers.

If JS buy Nisa I wonder if a more franchise based model akin to 'One Stop' will be introduced? Given that JS bid away from Nisa to supply McColls the only real benefit of buying Nisa would seem to be the independent retail members, and retaining this base would need to be a priority.