Nisa chief executive Neil Turton is to join forces with industry research veteran Tom Fender when he leaves the organisation next Spring.

Turton, Fender and William Reed Business Media, owner of C-Store, have this week launched Him! International, an autonomous sister company to Him! Research & Consulting UK, to provide provide clients with sector, shopper and retailer insights from convenience and food-to-go markets around the world. Turton will join the new venture full-time when he has completed his notice period at Nisa.

Convenience retailing is one of the biggest growth trends in food retailing, not just in the UK but globally, as consumer lifestyle changes mean shoppers are looking to “top-up” little and often, locally, with food-to-go and meal solutions in high demand. Him! International will interview shoppers around the world to help retailers and suppliers implement strategies based on robust shopper insight. 

Fender commented: “Different retailers can learn from other retailers within one market, but Him! International aims to help entire country markets learn from other markets too.  Everyone can learn from everybody else.

“Proximity Retailing is a hugely exciting sector to be working in. It involves gas station shops and convenience stores like we know in the UK, but it can also include discounters, kiosks and specialist outlets like bakers which are all competing for a share of the convenience euro/dollar/yen. With food-to-go also a massive global growth consumer trend, we’re sure that there will be plenty for UK operators to learn from too.”

Turton added: “We wanted to work under the Him! brand because there has been no company which has focused so obsessively on small format shoppers, for so long, than Him! in the UK.  

“Him! is famous for compelling shopper insights. We want to take the great work Him! does in the UK and internationalise it”.