Nisa has poached One Stop Stores’ national operations manager as its new head of retail to ramp its expansion.

Taranjit Singh Dhillon is to join the convenience retailer‘s retail and sales leadership team on 9 September, and will report into Nisa’s recently appointed director of sales and retail, ex-Post Office retail transformation director Katie Secretan.

Dhillon has 20 years of experience in the retail industry, including 6 years at discounter Lidl and 11 years at rival convenience retailer One Stop Stores, where he most recently oversaw its network of 350 franchises.

Nisa said Dhillon’s appointment is aimed at speeding up its expansion and growth efforts, focusing on practical, customer-focused solutions to make a significant difference for independent retailers.

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The retailer’s previous head of retail Victoria Lockie revealed earlier this year that she would step down from the role in September, to take up a new position as retail director at Unitas Wholesale.

Secretan said: “I’m thrilled to have Taranjit join the Nisa team. His hands-on experience in independent retail and ability to build franchise relationships is exactly what we need to take our retailer proposition to the next level, and I’m confident he’s the right person to lead our retail team. Taranjit’s fresh ideas and proven success in driving growth will be key in helping us achieve our long-term strategy.”

Dhillion added: “This is an exciting time for independent retailing and I’m delighted to be joining Katie and the dynamic team at Nisa. I look forward to using my experience to enhance our proposition, help drive recruitment, and continue delivering value for our retailers.”

His appointment is understood to mark the beginning of Nisa bolstering its senior teams, with further hires expected in the fourth quarter.