Sir; As a Nisa member, I read with interest the article about c-store chain Day & Nite wishing to forge closer links with suppliers (The Grocer, March 4, p9). Trading and marketing director Andrew Errington laid out a solid case as to why they should be taken more seriously by suppliers since they now have over 90 stores. I admire the focused way in which he has set about range rationalisation and taking control of buying. As a Nisa member what I do not admire about this is the call for closer links with suppliers. What he is trying to say is that he wants to bypass Nisa central office and do his own deals based on his newly focused plans. What he forgets is that it is only by being part of Nisa that he gets a lot of the deals he needs to survive. As a very small member of Nisa, I have taken the conscious decision to abdicate all buying power to Nisa central office. I would be a fool to even contemplate trying to do the sort of deals they do on my behalf. However, where I and many of my contemporaries differ from the likes of Errington, is that I own Allerdene Foodmarkets, and hence have nothing to prove and feel no need to empire build. I can let Nisa work for me, and have tailored my corporate strategy to fully maximise the benefits of membership, rather than try foolishly to do better. Day & Nite have removed Nisa own label. I wonder if this was purely an issue of focus, or whether it was a way of pretending they were not part of the group to their consumers. I worry that the fairly positive picture that your article paints of Day & Nite masks a "we don't need Nisa" culture within the company. I hope not. Nisa is a fine and well run group that only prospers from the support it derives from all its members. Philip M Horsfield Owner and proud Nisa member {{LETTERS }}