HALDANE Retail Group has bought a Liverpool supermarket as one of 20 retail properties acquired mostly along the M62 corridor.

These supermarkets currently trade as Netto and are disposals by Asda from its much-publicised acquisition of Netto Stores (UK) announced last year.

The Liverpool Netto store is located at Wavertree Retail Park, and is the only Merseyside Netto store not being retained by Asda.

This acquisition will allow the Haldane Retail Group to introduce a new brand to the mid-size discount grocery sector under the name of UGO (pronounced You Go).

The new value-branded UGO stores, will build on the discount retailing strengths of Netto, but with a stronger and broader core grocery range, plus expanded health and beauty.

Arthur Harris, sole shareholder of The Haldane Retail Group, said: “UGO will be a flexible, friendly and approachable company, with old-fashioned ideas and ethics to encompass a modern trading format.

“There is an opportunity in the mid-size discount supermarket sector to do something special and I think UGO, with its established store teams, is the brand that can do it.”