Independent retailers thinking about launching an online service must be prepared to invest a six-figure sum, delegates were told at this week's Nisa-Today's convention.
Bilal Hallaq of Unipower said: "We are talking about investment of between £75,000-£100,000 in the first year alone and a payback time of about three years."
Bells Stores in the north east used Unipower's systems to launch its Bells Direct internet service.
And Hallaq said there were about 20 more Nisa members who could stand the cost of entry. He also said the way forward for the small store sector could be to form a web alliance where costs and risks could be shared by retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.
However, seminar speakers identified an opportunity for the standalone independent as e-tailing gains in momentum.
One said: "Shoppers won't be keen on buying fresh and chilled products via the internet and this will become an area of opportunity for small stores, but many of them will have to do it better than they do at present."
More than 250 Nisa members and 200 Today's wholesalers attended the exhibition at the NAC Stoneleigh Park complex near Coventry, where more than 200 manufacturers offered attractive deals above those available in a normal promotional period.
But the focal point of the show was the unveiling of the group's Everyday Value range of 30 price-marked KVIs, produced for Today's wholesalers and their retail customers.
The equivalent products under the Today's label will cease to be price-marked.
Delegates attending a workshop on central distribution were told they would be able to obtain cigarettes through the system for the first time from July 13.
Nisaway trading director Steve Collins said that distribution would be carried out by a Today's wholesaler member, but could not disclose who it would be.
He said: "We expect to invoice cigarette sales of £110m in the first year."
Collins said the group was currently distributing 67 million cases annually through its central network, which were worth more than £1bn in retail sales.
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