High-profile independent David Knight has become the latest retailer to move to the Together With Morrisons model, after working with Budgens for 17 years.
The two-site operator has initially launched his 4,500 sq ft Hassocks store under the dual branded fascia, along with his independent trademark The Sussex Grocer, which opened last week.
Knight said access to a wider product range was a key factor in his decision to switch. The range at the Hassocks site had grown by 25% to 7,200 SKUs, including Morrisons own label, he said.
“We were lured by the offer of a credible supermarket range that we could use at every level in every category that previously wasn’t available to us,” Knight told The Grocer.
“We now don’t need to run as many promotions because we’ve embedded competitive pricing into range. And on top of the goods from our local suppliers, the higher SKU count from Morrisons has really turned the store’s professionalism up a notch.”
Knight will be changing his second 2,900 sq ft site in Steyning over on 13 June. He also revealed the business plans to open a third store in Sussex in August under the same branding. He had previously run a site in Henfield but sold it to Sainsbury’s last year.
Morrisons sales director for franchise & wholesale supply Paul Dobson said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with David Knight Retail to open a ‘Together with Morrisons’ store in Hassocks followed by another one in Steyning next week.
“David and his team have an exceptional wealth of retail knowledge and we’ve combined that with our operational support to deliver these fantastic stores. Both offer customers a mix of Morrisons own brand products and branded favourites as well as a strong local product range from independent local suppliers.”
Knight joins several other leading retailers who have changed to the dual-branded model since the debut with Warner’s in May 2022, including Jempson’s, Fresh & Proper and Filco Supermarkets.
The proposition is designed for independent store owners with established local brands and larger stores.
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