One of the areas the company prides itself on is availability, says Pradip. "There is nothing worse than a retailer walking into a depot and finding what he wants is not there." He admits that can mean carrying more stock than some competitors, but he says he would rather have that than risk running out. The company also allows its depot managers a lot of autonomy. "They are best-placed to understand customers' needs so are able to manage stockholding, pricing policy and promotions. When people have freedom to influence things, they are more motivated." Putting these beliefs into practice has helped the company expand to become a leading force in the London area. The major expansion of the company began six years ago and it now comprises five depots, all within the M25, totalling nearly 500,000 sq ft, employing 300 people and turning over £225m in the year to March 2003. The latest depot, at Watford, opened last month, but already the search for a sixth, possibly in the south west sector of the M25, is under way. "Ideally we would like to open a new depot every 18 months until we have about eight in the London area," says Pradip. An important factor in the group's success, he adds, is its membership of Nisa-Today's. Since joining in 1989, he says Nisa-Today's has been very supportive of Dhamecha's growth, which has seen it become the largest member in the Today's group. "We support its three-weekly promotions and its marketing team has helped us with our depot openings. We have a seat on the board and help formulate policy." {{INDEPENDENTS }}