UK retailer Haldane Retail Group announced today (14 April) that it had doubled its store estate with the acquisition of some 20 former Netto stores in the country.
The retail group said it has taken control of 20 former Netto stores and plans to convert the outlets into its new discount format UGO over the next six weeks.
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Haldane said that the UGO stores will “take advantage of growth in the discount sector”. The company said the outlets will also “enable customers to complete their weekly shop, offering some 3,000 SKUs including fresh produce, branded groceries and non-food items at “highly-competitive prices”.
It added that the stores will also offer home delivery, loyalty cards and it is planning to launch an own-label range.
Haldane acquired the stores following the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) instruction to Asda – which struck a deal to buy Dansk Supermarked’s UK Netto stores last year – to sell 47 of the 194 stores.
Haldane Retail Group CEO Arthur Harris said: “We saw Asda’s purchase and subsequent store divestment as an unmissable opportunity to expand our store portfolio. We’re ideally placed to build on Netto’s success here in the UK over the last 20 years.”
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By GlobalDataHaldane plans to retain all Netto staff at the outlets across the North East of England, North West and Yorkshire.
The company has also revealed plans to launch a store format called Haldanes Express.
“Work has already started on a new Haldanes Express in Folkstone which will combine a deli, café and convenience store within the ‘Stop 24′ motorway services located next to the Channel Tunnel,” said Harris.
The first store is set to open on 21 April, and Harris said he expects to be able to announced further store openings in the coming months.
