Local hero

The good thing about the franchise model of supermarket retailing is that they are independently owned and thus inherently more responsive to the community they serve than inhuman chains. Oh sure, Tesco might spend billions on capturing and interpreting data with sophisticated algorithms to understand local market preferences, but you can’t beat good old gut instinct and local knowledge.

That’s why Nisa makes such a virtue of being a chain of local stores owned by local people. The owners of Nisa’s new Mantle Road store have listened to the local debate about Greater Brockley’s ever-expanding borders and they’ve responded, by welcoming Haynes Park in to the fold. Romford isn’t the first place we’d have made a land-grab for, but we’ll take it.

Brockley's new local Nisa

Meanwhile, Fabhat sends us a link to a design company that reckons Jay’s Budgens in Crofton Park has got it right. With thanks to Vesta Curry for the spot.