S&S-Sutton-10

Source: Select & Save

It has converted the first store to the new branding in Warmley, Birmingham

Select & Save has rebranded, with the symbol group starting to roll out a new fascia, store design, and manager support service across its estate.

The business said it had been working on a new identity over the past year to distinguish itself from an “increasingly bland and static market”.

As part of the makeover, the symbol group has created a new green, white and pink fascia. It has also revamped its design in store to “enhance inclusivity and visual appeal”.

It has converted the first store to the new branding in Walmley, Birmingham. Previously a Nisa store, the retailer has increased weekly sales from £8k to £12.5k in six weeks with shoppers praising the “enhanced community feel”, said Select & Save founder and CEO Kam Sanghera.

The symbol group, which supplies 127 independents and one company-owned store, has also ramped up its support package for retailers.

This includes rebates of up to 5.5% and a new free relief manager service, which Select & Save claimed was an industry first. It sees the symbol group provide an experienced store manager to run a retailer’s store so they can take “well-deserved breaks” when they do not have the resources to do so.

“We believe that without good incentives for retailers, the future of convenience will fall in the hands of the wholesalers, who will ultimately serve their own interests controlling cost pricing and dictating terms,” said Sanghera.

“This is part of our wider strategy to differentiate ourselves in the market. As most symbol brands have now sold out to a corporate structure, they have no control over their wholesale supply.

“Once you do that, you lose independence, your individuality, and any negotiating power. We’re making the conscious decision to invest, enabling us to grow organically as a group by recruiting retailers that share our principles.”

Select & Save works with Bestway for its supply, but was currently in negotiations with other wholesalers, it said.