Nisa lorry

Source: Nisa

There are currently no plans to roll it out more widely 

Nisa has temporarily paused the fuel levy for 40 retailers as it looks to assess the impact on the business, The Grocer can reveal.

It is understood the symbol group is looking at how it could boost loyalty and sales volume, while making its proposition more attractive to other retailers operating with different wholesalers. 

Nisa MD Peter Batt previously told The Grocer the business was exploring avenues that would encourage retailers to spend more at Nisa, following the work it had done on its rebates scheme.

In January, Nisa moved towards a rebates model that was solely focused on weekly order spend, subsequently removing the Co-op own label criteria. Retailers are also now able to achieve an additional 0.5% rebate bonus if they have a Nisa or co-branded fascia.

One retailer said the new rebate scheme was “a lot simpler” and they now had “the confidence to put even more of our buying through Nisa”.

Nisa did not confirm how long the fuel levy pilot would last, but said there were currently no plans to implement it more widely.

Its fuel levy currently stands at £4.88 per delivery, after initially introducing the fee in January 2022 as the symbol group grappled with rising operating costs. It has since fluctuated, from as high as £13.43 in July 2022 to its lowest rate of £3.66 in August last year, in line with a volatile fuel market.

“Whilst we pilot numerous schemes across the business as we seek to improve our proposition to our customers, there are no plans for any of these temporary models to be rolled out to the wider retailer base currently,” said a Nisa spokeswoman.

“Each pilot study is evaluated once concluded by assessing customer feedback and the impact on the wider business. Customers will be informed should changes be implemented in the future.”