The search area radiates outwards from Leeds

Netto has pinpointed where it wants to open its 15 trial stores when it makes its return to the UK this autumn.

The discounter, which revealed last week it was coming back to the UK via a joint venture with Sainsbury’s after selling up to Asda in 2010, is targeting an area of the North of England roughly 120 miles in diameter radiating out from Leeds and stretching west to east from Liverpool to Hull and north to south from Richmond, North Yorkshire, to just north of Nottingham.

It said it was looking for stores of around 10,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft in retail parks or standalone units. The stores must also have prominent main road frontage with a good residential catchment, as well as a minimum of 60 customer car parking spaces.

Speaking to The Grocer this week, Per Bank, CEO of Netto owner Dansk Supermarked, said Netto would initially focus on the North of England, but did not rule out a move further south if the trial proved successful.

“The stores will be located in areas with an interesting demographic mix of mixed-affluence households, which will tell us a lot about the viability of the concept across different regions of the country,” he said. “But we think we can make a success of this wherever we go.”

Sainsbury’s is expected to play a key role in the property search. Bank singled out the supermarket chain’s “property expertise” as a key benefit of the 50:50 joint venture.

Read this: Netto’s return: Per Bank and Mike Coupe on how the jv will work