The failure of independents in non‐food sectors to adapt themselves to the voluntary group structure has been one of the features of the recent retail scene. But now there are signs of interesting activity in the confectionery/tobacco/news field. Independent CTNs are subject to pressures from both ends of the spectrum — not only from supermarkets but from the well‐organised CTN multiples; some of them are responding to these pressures by adopting improved selling methods and by forming a voluntary group.