Debra Johnston is going out on a high. Her last full year as Trading Controller at Food Force Ireland saw a record pay day, with just under £2 million paid back to its members.

From the early days of the organisation to the tour de force it is today, Debra has been a critical piece of the journey for independent Nisa retailers of all sizes across Northern Ireland.

When she announced her retirement at this year’s pay day event at the start of April, Debra’s news was met with shock but was swiftly followed by a deep appreciation of what she has achieved over the last 25 years.

Having started out as a merchandiser with Musgrave Distribution Ltd after she graduated, Debra got the bug for buying while working at Wyse Byse in Newtownards as a Saturday job, curious about the journey of the products from where they came from and how they reached stores.

As a buyer with Musgrave, she toured the world, benefiting from a wealth of experience while working in conjunction with their buying team from RoI. She later moved to Henderson’s where she enjoyed what she described as the three happiest years of her buying career working with a great team. She also credits this time as instilling her interest in the art of negotiation.

So, when Food Force got in touch a few years later with an opportunity to come and lead them in a new direction, Debra jumped at the opportunity, joining in June 2001.

“I have been here since; they have been lovely people to work for,” said Debra.

“It has been the most frustrating but the most satisfying job. Our business is about people and relationships. If we do not go that extra mile to see these suppliers, they will go to someone else. I want them to think of us every single time.”

With approximately 60 members covering 90 stores, Food Force is wholly owned by its shareholders. Unique in that there is no central warehouse, their negotiations are for deliveries to be made direct to stores, with stores having their own direct accounts with the suppliers.

“My job is to represent the members, promote their profile, get the best possible pricing, put promotions together and organise and host the trade shows,” said Debra.

“The end of the year work is the pinnacle of this; it is the end of year earnings and the long-term trade agreements. We do it so the individual store can be judged on its own performance, it is not dependent on the success of all the stores together. You need to make things equal and accessible for everyone, and we have done that successfully for everyone.

“In our early years, we were paying out around £150,000 and now it’s up to almost £2 million. It reflects the calibre of the stores in our group – they are the best of the best. They’re investing in their businesses all the time and you are part of that process all the time to help them grow.

“Because they are getting direct access with suppliers, they are back to that agility that suppliers can go in and influence sales in their stores that they can’t do with wholesale.

“There is a real relationship there with the suppliers and the retailers and that is the core part of all of this. There is a triangle with the member, supplier and myself, and we are working with each other to get the best deal for each other.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DEBRA JOHNSTON IN THE APRIL ISSUE HERE

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Batt, who joined Nisa in September 2022, left the company in December 2024 to pursue further opportunities outside the business.

In a social media post, Morrisons revealed their delight at Batt joining the business, bringing with him over 30 years’ experience in the food industry.

Having led at board level and across large-scale retail operations, most recently he sat on the board of the Association of Convenience Stores and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors.

Before that, he spent a decade at the Co-op Group as Divisional Managing Director, with accountability for over 1200 stores. He spent the first 20 years of his career at Sainsbury’s, where he held senior roles in operations, commercial and convenience.

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In what has been described as a “proactive move to support independent retailers” across the region, the removal of the levies took effect from Monday 1^st September.

The company said the action reflects Co-op Wholesale’s recognition of the economic pressures facing local businesses, while also underscoring its long-term commitment to delivering value, stability and partnership to its Northern Ireland customer base.

Acknowledging that their service levels have not met the expectations of NI retailers in recent months, MD of Co-op Wholesale, Katie Secretan said the decision to scrap the levies was a “clear signal” of their focus and enduring commitment to these retailers.

“We’re determined to rebuild trust and deliver the service our retailers deserve,” added Katie Secretan.

Nisa retailer, Kenny Bradley who owns seven stores across Northern Ireland, welcomed the recent announcement, adding it comes after the tobacco price realignment earlier in August.

“It represents another positive step in supporting independent retailers,” Kenny told NR.

“Co-op Wholesale are working hard to address product availability challenges caused by Brexit, and we will continue to work closely with them to improve supply, drive growth, and strengthen our stores through collaboration and engagement.

“Food retailers in Northern Ireland have faced exceptionally challenging years due to numerous complex UK/EU agreements, which have disadvantaged local consumers through inflated prices and product shortages,” added Kenny.

“At times, goods have been withdrawn from sale altogether, and unnecessary food waste has occurred as trucks are turned away at customs – often over minor paperwork errors.”

Kenny added that ongoing uncertainty was causing difficulties for retailers here.

“Considering that the UK left the EU in 2020, it is deeply concerning that a UK Government minister has now confirmed the Irish Sea border for food and agricultural products will remain in place until at least 2027 – seven years after Brexit.

“This ongoing uncertainty continues to damage the local retail industry and should be a source of serious reflection for all those involved in the Brexit negotiations.”

Meanwhile, Noel Hadden, General Manager at Milestone Rathfriland, which is owned by Tom McAvoy, said any reduction in cost was good news.

“I think the removal of the levies is a welcome move, however volumes with NISA/Co-op have dropped considerably, this mainly being due to higher cost pricing with NISA/Co-op than many of the other local wholesale suppliers,” said Noel.

“This again is compounded further by the Windsor Framework, where many goods across ambient, chilled, and frozen supplied from GB are being restricted unless they have ‘Not For EU’ on the individual packaging, forcing retailers to source goods through an alternative supply route.

“Yes, any reductions in costs are very welcome but there is a lot for NISA/Co-op to contend with to sustain and grow any further business in Northern Ireland,” added Noel.

Katie Secretan said the removal of the levies is part of a broader strategy to enhance support for independent retailers and ensure they remain competitive and financially resilient in a challenging market.

“Co-op Wholesale will continue to monitor the economic landscape and work at pace to resolve product availability issues,” she added.

The levy position will be reviewed ahead of the start of 2026, in line with ongoing economic developments.

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The latest report from Co-op shows mixed fortunes for the retailer, with a wholesale loss of £1m, compared to a £14 million profit in 2023 – put down to continued wider challenging market conditions, as well as their proactive support for partners with a significant price investment across hundreds of products.

Meanwhile, the report highlights it held Nisa’s market share at 11.9%, against a broader sector decline and they continued to see high levels of partners buying own brand, at 92% (compared to 91% in 2023).

The report comes following the news Nisa Wholesale was rebranding as Co-op Wholesale, with the Co-op Group stating this was a strategic move forward and would allow them to deliver “expansive growth and operational excellence”. Katie Secretan was announced as the new MD for Co-op Wholesale.

Elsewhere in the report, Co-op Group maintained revenue at £11.3 billion, with significant increase in group profit and further reductions in group net debt.

LONG-TERM FOCUS

Profit before tax was up by £133 million to £161 million (compared to £28 million in 2023), which the Group said was driven by increased operating profits and improved Funeralcare plan investment returns.

Meanwhile, a strong balance sheet was maintained, with total liquidity of £820m and net debt (excluding leases) down £27m to £55m – a 94% reduction in the last three years.

Chair of the Co-op, Debbie White thanked each colleague for their focus and hard work in delivering these results on behalf of their members.

“These results show that our strategy on delivering for our member owners, whilst also delivering long-term financial and operational progress is working,” she said.

“I’m particularly delighted we have increased our active membership by 22%. We continue to focus on long-term profitable growth, creating more value for all our member owners and the communities they live in.”

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Described as a wholesale and convenience pioneer, he founded wholesaler DB Ramsden & Co in Grimsby over 60 years ago.

In 1977 he was the founder of the Nisa buying consortium with Peter Garvin, a collaboration which allowed independent retailers to leverage collective purchasing power.

Ten years later he created the wholesale buying group, Today’s which later evolved to become Nisa-Today’s. Today’s later split to become a separate company in 2012 and merged with Landmark Wholesale to form Unitas Wholesale.

In 2006, he retired as executive chairman from Nisa-Today’s, before retiring from the board of Today’s Group in 2014.

In a tribute to their founder on its website, Nisa said it was “deeply saddened” by news of Dudley Ramsden’s passing.

“Dudley was a true pioneer whose vision, passion and dedication transformed the independent retail sector,” they said.

“From co-founding Nisa in 1977 to leading it to become one of Europe’s leading buying groups, his impact on the industry was immeasurable. Under his leadership, Nisa-Today’s grew into a billion-pound organisation, supporting independent retailers across the UK.

“Dudley was a true pioneer whose impact on Nisa and independent retailing cannot be overstated. His drive and commitment created opportunities for so many, and his influence will be felt for generations to come.

“Our thoughts are with the Ramsden family and all at Ramsden International at this time.”

Former Nisa CEO Neil Turton described Dudley as a “true entrepreneur and visionary”.

“His business philosophy was simple: that independent retailers should work together and act like a multiple in order to survive. It’s true to this day,” he said.

“I had the privilege of working alongside him for two decades as Nisa grew and grew, opening four large distribution centres and being true “Guardians of Independence” alongside the Today’s Group, bringing together the UK’s independent wholesalers, which continues to this day as Unitas.”

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