Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

New wholesale buying group coming soon

New wholesale buying group coming soon

To support and champion independent wholesalers, a brand new buying group title The Wholesale Group has been created and will officially launch on Jan 1 2025.

Described as "the buying group for the future" and "home of the independent wholesalers" The Wholesale Group will be led by joint managing directors Tom Gittins and Jess Douglas with Martin Williams and Coral Rose as co-chairs. The Wholesale Group will bring together the members of Confex and Fairway Foodservice to create the new group.


The Wholesale Group represents more than 12 per cent of UK wholesale and has £4.47bn annual turnover. The group will boast of 253 depots across the UK, serving more than 349,000 customers.

“Put simply, this is the buying group that the sector needs,” said Gittins.

“The Wholesale Group will be the only UK buying group to offer an extensive retail and foodservice range and expertise, alongside logistics efficiency via central distribution. It has an award-winning foodservice own brand supported by bespoke, coordinated member marketing and retail member support. And there are no membership fees and every member receives a share of the profits. We are delighted to launch The Wholesale Group as we know it is the solution for the independent wholesaler.”

Douglas adds, “The sector has changed dramatically and it is crucial that we do things differently to accommodate these changes for both our members and suppliers, and The Wholesale Group will lead the way. Driven by data and technology and with a crystal-clear focus on service, it will be the largest delivered buying group, the largest foodservice buying group and the second largest retail buying group in the UK.”

Rose states, "For our supplier partners, The Wholesale Group provides an efficient and powerful route to market through enhanced scale and capability.

“For our members, it is clear that Confex and Fairway have long held similar cultures and ethos, focused on celebrating and championing family businesses with members at the heart of everything we do. By coming together, we retain this member-centric approach but are even stronger, while building for the future.”

“While the foundations of The Wholesale Group are built upon years of expertise and specialist knowledge of the sector, this is a buying group created for the future,” said Williams.

“This is the solution for the independent wholesaler. It will provide something no other group can, and this will enable us to become the genuine home of independent wholesalers. We look forward to an incredibly exciting future.”

More for you

Allan Leighton returns to Asda to lead revival plan

Allan Leighton ( Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Allan Leighton returns to Asda to lead revival plan

Supermarket Asda has hired its former Chief Executive Allan Leighton as its new Chairman to support efforts to revive the business after a difficult few years.

Leighton, 71, will replace another retail veteran, Lord Stuart Rose, who has held the role since 2021. Lord Rose was recently tasked with kickstarting Asda’s turnaround strategy after co-owner Mohsin Issa stepped down from running the business in September. Reports said he was heavily involved in efforts to appoint Leighton and will leave the business once the new Chairman is settled into the role.

Keep ReadingShow less
disposable vapes
Single-use disposable vapes are displayed for sale on October 27, 2024 in London, England
Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

2.3 million vapers to switch back to smoking if flavours were restricted: survey

41 per cent of adult vapers would switch back to smoking tobacco if flavour restrictions were introduced, a new survey has found.

This equates to 2.3 million UK adults, Elfbar, which commissioned the study, noted.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rising inflation to 'subdue household spending' this Christmas

Rising inflation to 'subdue household spending' this Christmas

Rising inflation may subdue household spending this Christmas according to the latest figures from Asda’s Income Tracker.

The tracker, which measures household disposable income, fell for only the second time this year, decreasing by £1.98 in October, leaving the average UK household with £247 per week. The 2.3 per cent rise in inflation was primarily driven by higher energy prices, reflecting the rise in the Ofgem price cap that took place at the start of the month and caused housing, water, electricity, and gas bills to increase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brits called on to stand with retail staff in fight against crime, abuse

iStock image

Brits called on to stand with retail staff in fight against crime, abuse

As the busy shopping period begins with Black Friday and Christmas around the corner, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and its retail members are calling on the public to stand together against violence and abuse towards retail workers this Christmas.

From those working in stores, to those delivering goods and those working in customer service centres, everyone deserves a safe Christmas. Christmas is an incredibly complex and challenging time of year for the retail industry, with stores and delivery services working overtime to deliver for customers. Colleagues are extra busy keeping shelves stocked and ensuring products are delivered on time, yet those working in retail are often subject to more violence and abuse during this period.

Keep ReadingShow less
High Barnet Post Office

High Barnet Post Office

Photo via LDRS

Campaign for all post office services to be retained

Politicians and councillors are campaigning for post office services to be retained as Post Office Ltd announced the potential closure of its 115 branches to make it more financially sustainable.

The state-owned company says these directly owned branches currently employ about 1,000 workers and are making a loss.

Keep ReadingShow less