Buying groups Confex and Fairway Foodservice are merging to create The Wholesale Group.
Described as ‘the buying group for the future’ by its leadership team, The Wholesale Group will officially launch on 1 January 2025 as ‘the home of the independent wholesaler’.
The group will be led by joint Managing Directors Tom Gittins and Jess Douglas, with Martin Williams and Coral Rose as co-chairs.
“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 agreed: “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.”
The benefits brought by the group would be felt across the entire supply chain, the group claimed.
“For our supplier partners, The Wholesale Group provides an efficient and powerful route to market through enhanced scale and capability,” said Rose. “For our members, it is clear that Confex and Fairway have long held similar cultures and ethos, focussed 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.”
The Wholesale Group in numbers:
Represents more than 12% of UK wholesale
£4.47bn annual turnover
253 depots across the UK
Serving more than 349,000 customers
Existing members of Confex and Fairway Foodservice will become members of The Wholesale Group on 1 January 2025.
Williams said: “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. 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.”
