138965A Morrisons Talibach Port Talbot - Issue

Source: Filco

Its store in Taibach will be the first to launch under the fascia 

Filco Supermarkets has signed up to become the latest ‘Together with Morrisons’ retailer, The Grocer can reveal.

Director Matthew Hunt said his 5,500 sq ft store in Taibach, south Wales, would be the first to convert on 29 February, with the remaining eight stores to complete by the summer. These are located across the region as well, including in Bryntirion, Caerau and Maesteg.

The business is switching its supply deal from Nisa, with which it has operated for over 40 years. Filco also operates a store with Spar, in a deal that will not change.

Hunt said he was “thrilled” to have struck a supply deal with the supermarket giant.

“The deal will allow us to benefit from working closely with such a fantastic organisation while still maintaining our independence through their dual fascia programme,” he said.

“The ability to capitalise on the brand equity of Morrisons while introducing an own-label range unmatched in the wholesale market was simply too good an opportunity to miss.

“In order to grow and thrive in this incredibly competitive market we have identified that we have to focus on food, recruit new customers and encourage them to buy more. To do this we needed to improve our value offer, develop our range and push our point of difference.

“Everything about the relationship with Morrisons points to us achieving these goals. Despite the significant change this represents, Paul [Dobson], Nick [Russell], Isis [Fornari] and the team at Morrisons have been great in getting us onboarded and we cannot wait to get the stores up and trading under our new fascia. There are now so many more reasons to shop at Filco.”

Filco’s sign-up makes it the fourth retailer to join the Together with Morrisons concept. The first store opened in May 2022, in partnership with Warner’s, followed by Jempson’s in May. It then signed up new independent retailer Fresh & Proper as its third Together with Morrisons operator.

The Grocer revealed last month Morrisons could also soon be launching in Northern Ireland, following talks with independent retailer Tom McAvoy about becoming a partner.

The dual-branded proposition is designed for independent store owners with established local brands and larger stores.