Horizon scissor lifts play a part in Netto’s return to UK retailing
By Matt Fray, Horizon Account Manager
Horizon scissor lifts are playing a part in Netto’s return to discount retailing in the UK.
Over the past 12 months, more than a dozen electric scissor lifts have been used in the construction and fit out of new Netto stores in Doncaster, Glossop, Sheffield and Ellesmere Port. A further four machines are currently onsite at Leeds and Hull. An initial 15 new outlets will be built around the M62 corridor by the end of the year in a move designed to test how well the discount supermarkets will be received by shoppers in the north of England. If things go to plan, more stores will be opened throughout the UK.
A new partnership – and a new approach
You may recall that Netto left the British market five years ago when it sold up to Asda. This time round, Sainsbury’s is leading the charge in the form of a joint venture with Denmark’s biggest retailer and Netto’s parent company, Dansk Supermarked. Each partner is investing £12.5 million.
This new model of discounting “with a Scandinavian twist” is a vehicle for Sainsbury’s to dip a tentative toe into the highly-competitive discount market – currently dominated by Aldi and Lidl – which continues to gain market share from the traditional supermarkets.
Each of the new Netto stores that Horizon has been involved in follow a similar formula: they are light, bright and relatively small (around 11,000 sq ft) and shoppers are greeted with piles of fresh fruit and vegetables as they enter. In line with the ‘stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap’ discounter philosophy, the new stores stock only a limited range of products, albeit a wider choice than previously with over 2,000 product choices compared to 1,200 before. About two-thirds are own-label goods and only 10% of items are from well-known brands such as Heinz and Kelloggs. All the outlets feature an in-house bakery and there are plans to appeal to a more affluent audience with deals on champagne, wine and chocolates, in addition to a selection of cheap basics.
Scissor lifts offer a helping hand
Our machines are, of course, just a small part of the story of Netto’s return to the UK, but they are playing a key role in the creation of the outlets. The platforms are being used by a broad range of tradespeople on the new build sites – from electrical contractors and ventilation and air conditioning suppliers to shopfitters and partitioning contractors. Because they enable multiple people to work safely at height at the same time, they allow work to be done quicker, and as we all know on construction sites, time is indeed money!
To find the right platform for you, call Horizon on 0330 134 6458 or visit: http://www.horizonplatforms.co.uk/hire-platforms.html