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Recruiting retailers is a competitive game. And one that generally plays out best in a face-to-face environment. But coronavirus put an end to all that. No longer could the big symbol and franchise groups rely on trade shows, store visits and face-to-face meetings to tempt new members. Suddenly, operators had to adapt their recruitment plans to an online world. Replacing the power of annual trade shows, which typically attract thousands of visitors, was no mean feat. Yet nine of the leading 14 fascias managed to hold onto or expand their numbers last year. The most impressive figures came in from Booker’s Premier and Parfetts Go Local – both of which grew store numbers by 150 – while Londis was also up by more than 100 stores. Meanwhile, Nisa signed up 73 more stores in 2020 than it did the previous year despite the challenges created by the pandemic. ....