Cash & Carry Management July 26

Delegates

Kitwave acquires Fife Creamery

Kitwave Wholesale Group has acquired Kirkcaldybased wholesaler Fife Creamery.

Founded in 1957, Fife Creamery was branded as ‘Scotland's Original Chilled Food Service’.

With longstanding relationships across Scotland’s retail and hospitality sectors, Fife Creamery will become a cornerstone of Kitwave’s operations in Scotland. It will continue to trade under the Fife Creamery name.

The Simpson family, which owns Fife Creamery, is preparing to exit the business, but there will be no changes to Fife Creamery’s depot, operations, sales or head office teams.

Customers and suppliers will continue working with the same contacts, with no

Supply deal

Best Food Logistics – part of the Booker Group – has been appointed the supply chain partner for Slim Chickens.

The partnership will see Best Food Logistics provide nationwide distribution and supply chain services to the growing US-founded quickservice restaurant brand.

Best Food Logistics already provides supply chain solutions for many of the UK’s best-known hospitality brands. These include Taco Bell, KFC, Pret A Manger, ASK Italian, Nando’s, Zizzi, Burger King, and Pizza Hut.

change to the way the business operates day to day.

The existing leadership structure remains in place, with Steve Appolinari staying on as managing director.

As part of the acquisition, Fife Creamery will also become a member of the Country Range Group.

Graeme Simpson, chairman of Fife Creamery, explained: “Our objectives have always been to protect

the established Fife Creamery name, remain a vital partner for Scottish retail and hospitality, secure the right investment for our Kirkcaldy infrastructure, and ensure sustainable long-term growth. I am extremely pleased to say that all these goals have been achieved.

“Fife Creamery’s core ethos and pioneering approach to first-class food distribution will continue to

guide the business as we enter this exciting new chapter. For seven decades, our success has been built on the foundation of the Simpson family’s values and our proud Scottish heritage. Alongside these principles, our passionate team (our food wholesale heroes), our culture and our commitment to exceptional service will remain central to everything we do.

“This partnership gives us the investment, scale and support to build on that success while remaining true to the values that have made Fife Creamery what it is today. Most importantly, it ensures Fife Creamery can continue to invest in its people, its customers and the communities it has proudly served for generations.”

Steve Potter promoted to MD

Yorkshire-based foodservice wholesaler Turner Price has appointed Steve Potter as managing director, following the retirement of Paul Brittain.

Potter (pictured) joined Turner Price in 2014 as operations manager and was appointed operations director and joined the board in 2024. Before that, he was operations manager at Alpine Fine Foods for nearly 10 years.

Potter said: “It is an honour to take on the role of managing director and to follow such a respected and successful leader as Paul.

“My focus will be on ensuring that Turner Price remains a trusted food partner for our customers across the UK and around the world, while continuing to

invest in our people, infrastructure and capabilities to support our ambitious growth plans.

“We have an incredibly talented and committed team, and I look forward to working alongside our board

of directors, senior management team and the Caterfood Buying Group as we continue to build on the company’s success.”

Brittain has been a member of the Turner Price leadership team for 24 years. Having served as finance director for more than two decades, he was appointed managing director in 2024 following the company’s move into the Caterfood Buying Group. Following his retirement, he will continue to support the business in an advisory capacity.

Turner Price operates from depots in East Yorkshire and County Durham, supplying the education, healthcare, hospitality, leisure and offshore sectors. It also exports catering and British retail goods.

Unitas re-signs Giro Food and creates role

Birmingham-based foodservice wholesaler Giro Food is to rejoin Unitas after a brief absence from the group.

Purchasing manager Usmaan Akram said: “After reviewing the opportunities available to us in the market, rejoining Unitas was the right strategic decision for our business.

“We’re excited to be

working with the group again and benefiting from the support and scale it offers.”

Unitas CEO John Kinney said: “Giro was a founding member of the group, and we are delighted to welcome them back.

“In an increasingly competitive market, Unitas is a natural home for wholesalers with a shared ambition to

drive growth, strengthen their customer offering, and build partnerships with suppliers, other members, and our central support team.

“We will work closely with our friends at Giro to ensure they reap the benefits of the value, support and commercial opportunities we’re building with our members.”

Founded in 1969, Giro Food specialises in food from all over the world and supplies products to the Indian, Chinese, AfroCaribbean, Greek and English markets.

In other news, Unitas has appointed Garreth Wilson, former managing director of Total Foodservice, as head of foodservice development.

The new role at Unitas been created to develop and deliver a growth strategy for

the group’s foodservice members.

Wilson has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in foodservice, wholesale, FMCG and multisite distribution, gained during his time at Miller Food Service and Total Foodservice. The parent company of Miller Food Service acquired Total Foodservice in 2024 and both now trade under the Total Foodservice name.

Spirit Republic replaces Prince Consort

Parfetts is expanding its own-brand offering with the launch of Spirit Republic, a new range developed to offer stronger margins in high-demand spirits and licensed categories.

The employee-owned wholesaler is launching the range at its largest annual event, Parfest, running from 5-11 July. The range will also be showcased on the wholesaler’s ‘Go for Growth’ category insight platform.

It marks the first major move into own-brand spirits under a trademark created and owned by Parfetts – it replaces the previously listed Prince Consort range, which was initially developed by buying group Landmark Wholesale.

Spirit Republic will debut with 20 SKUs across multiple

formats, including selected price-marked packs and smaller fractional bottle sizes. The range includes brandy, whisky, vodka, gin, white rum, and dark rum.

Mike Kerrigan, own brand manager at Parfetts, said: “Spirit Republic is an important step forward in the development of our own-

brand proposition. The range has been developed to maximise quality and value alongside strong margin performance for our retailers.”

In other news, Parfetts has become one of the first UK wholesalers to require suppliers to submit product information through a single digital platform.

The business has adopted Wholepal as the mandatory route for all new product submissions, data updates and listing requests, replacing the paper forms, spreadsheets and email chains that have long dominated product listing in the industry.

Parfetts will phase out manual product submissions by the end of the year, with suppliers transitioning to the new platform over the coming months.

Wholepal uses AI to extract, validate, and structure product information before it reaches wholesalers’ systems.

Suppliers can manage product details, including pricing and product updates, in one central location and share them with multiple wholesale customers.

The Wholesale Group attains B Corp status

The Wholesale Group has become the first wholesale buying group to achieve B Corp Certification.

Awarded by B Lab following a rigorous assessment, B Corp Certification recognises businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

It reflects an organisation’s commitment to balancing purpose with profit and to operating responsibly for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Jess Douglas, managing director – people & operations at The Wholesale Group, said: “Achieving B Corp Certification is an important milestone for The Wholesale Group. We have always aimed to do business

in the right way and the assessment enabled us to review every part of the organisation, strengthen our governance and reinforce the standards we set ourselves.”

She added: “Joining the B Corp community means we

can continue learning from other organisations that share our values while remaining accountable to our members, suppliers, colleagues and the communities we serve.”

In other news, The Wholesale Group has raised

£15,000 for Mines Advisory Group (MAG) following its charity golf day and dinner, held recently at The Welcombe Golf & Spa Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon.

The event brought together 80 members and suppliers for a day of golf in scrambles format, followed by a gala dinner.

Funds were raised through sponsorship packages, hole sponsorships, oncourse competitions and a raffle.

Tom Gittins, managing director – retail at The Wholesale Group, said: “Every pound raised goes directly towards MAG’s mission, and we couldn’t be prouder to support an organisation doing such vital work.”

SPAR recognises Everyday Champions

SPAR has launched Everyday Champions, a campaign celebrating the people who quietly keep communities connected.

The campaign is backed by new research, commissioned by SPAR. It reveals that despite the common challenges people face –59% say they simply don’t have enough time and 48% cite financial pressures –community spirit remains very much alive.

A total of 64% of Britons say they have helped someone in their local community over the past year. These everyday acts of kindness include:

a donating food to people in crisis (27%)

a giving neighbours urgent lifts (28%)

a checking in on elderly neighbours (17%)

a helping families with childcare (12%)

SPAR has joined forces with Olympian Colin Jackson CBE to launch Everyday Champions in selected stores in Central and South East England and Wales.

The campaign invites the public to nominate individuals whose kindness, generosity and commitment

make life better for others every day.

The initiative also marks 30 years of partnership between SPAR and European Athletics, celebrating the values that unite sporting and community champions – dedication, resilience, perseverance, and inspiring others.

Anna Hay, marketing &

customer experience director at AF Blakemore & Son, said: “At SPAR, we see community spirit every day in our stores, with regular stories of how our colleagues and retailers go above and beyond for their customers within the communities we serve.

“It is these quiet acts of kindness, connection and care that have inspired this campaign.”

Members of the public can nominate their Everyday Champion through participating SPAR stores or online at: https://www.spar.co.uk/ community/everyday-champions/

Five winners will be selected to attend the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships as VIP guests, where they will be recognised by Colin Jackson in a celebration.

GRAB & GO BARS

CHOCOLATE IS THE 3RD BIGGEST CATEGORY PURCHASED ON THE GO*

Summer Picks

Fresh Direct – part of Sysco –has introduced its Summer Picks 2026 range, comprising a focused line-up of peak-season British crops and chef-ready innovation.

The range brings together vertically-farmed salad leaves; Isle of Wight Beef, Coeur de Boeuf, heirloom and mixed baby plum tomatoes; Jersey Royals; summer berries; and an expanded selection of microgreens. Portabellini mushrooms also join the line-up.

With all of Fresh Direct’s contracted British produce coming from LEAF Marqueaccredited farms, sustainable British food is high on the agenda, with low-impact growing a major feature of this year’s offer.

Andy Pembroke, managing director of Fresh Direct, said: “Our Summer Picks 2026 range is designed to empower chefs with the freshest, most sustainable British produce, helping them create menus that truly celebrate the season’s best.”

He continues: “We’re proud to support operators in delivering exceptional quality and flavour while championing environmental responsibility.”

Fresh Direct has paired the range with chef-led recipes to showcase the products’ credentials.

Joan Scott-Adie

Joan Scott-Adie, life president of CJ Lang & Son, has died after a long illness.

Scott-Adie (pictured) was the granddaughter of Charles Lang senior, who founded the business in Dundee in 1919, and the daughter of Stella and Charles Lang.

“She dedicated her life to carrying forward their vision,” said a CJ Lang spokesperson.

“As long-serving chairwoman and majority shareholder, she oversaw a period of significant growth, helping to build CJ Lang & Son into Scotland’s leading independent food wholesaler and retailer and the SPAR wholesale partner for the whole of Scotland.

“Throughout that journey, Joan was supported by her husband John, who predeceased her, and who was

Race Day raises funds for Water Aid

More than 750 guests gathered at Royal Ascot for Bestway Group’s 33rd Annual Charity Race Day. This year’s event was attended by former prime minister Theresa May. She was one of the half dozen members of Parliament who, along with captains of

industry, diplomats, customers and Bestway colleagues, came together to raise funds for Water Aid.

In his welcome address Bestway Group chairman Lord Choudrey highlighted the company’s businesses performance. He said that during the last 12 months,

Bestway’s group turnover had increased to £5.2 billion and profit before tax had grown to £750 million.

Highlighting the importance of ‘giving back’, Lord Choudrey said: “Since first hosting our Charity Race Day more than 30 years ago, Bestway has proudly supported over 28 charities and raised more than £5 million for worthy causes. None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our supplier partners, customers and friends, whose generosity continues to turn a great day into a powerful force for good.

“Inspired by the vision and values of our founder, Sir Anwar Pervez, supporting communities remains at the heart of everything we do.”

also closely involved in the business.”

In other news, SPAR Scotland and the SGF Healthy Living Programme are strengthening their longstanding partnership with the introduction of new dualbranded Healthy Living stands in SPAR Scotland stores.

The stands will prominently highlight healthier products, supported by PoS materials.

New flavours

Country Range Group has introduced two new flavours of ice cream.

The Salted Caramel and White Vanilla variants are supplied in four-litre tubs in cases of six and are ideal for a wide range of hospitality and catering settings.

Rachel Porter, own brand manager, said: “A poor ice cream offering during the height of summer can leave a lasting impression, so it’s important for caterers to offer flavours that keep customers coming back for more.”

Live tracking app

JJ Foodservice has launched what it claims to be the UK’s first live delivery tracking app in foodservice wholesale.

The app gives customers real-time visibility of their order from the moment a driver departs, including lorry location, driver details and an updated arrival window when delivery is just minutes away.

Michael Dudley, chief technology officer at JJ Foodservice, said: “Our customers are running busy kitchens and operations –they don’t have time to

wonder when their delivery is coming or wait by the door all morning.

“By showing clear progress throughout the day and then switching to a live map when the lorry is close, we’ve given them the right information at the right time. It’s the same experience people expect when they order a takeaway or weekly shopping, and there’s no reason wholesale shouldn’t deliver that too.”

The system works in two stages. From dispatch, customers can see how many stops their driver is away, displayed in clear bands –‘Under 20 stops away’, ‘Under 10 stops away’, and so on. When the driver is three or fewer stops away, a live map activates, showing the vehicle’s current location, updated arrival time, the driver’s name and the vehicle registration.

Sterling awards

Entries are now open for the Sterling Supergroup Awards 2026, which will take place at the Annual Conference and Exhibition on 16-17 September in Hampshire.

Returning for a third year, the Awards recognise the businesses making a significant contribution across the Sterling group and the wider foodservice sector.

This year’s awards are:

a Member of the Year

a Supplier of the Year

a Sterling Caterers Essentials Member of the Year

a Sterling Caterers Essentials Supplier of the Year

a Sustainability Member of the Year

a Sustainability Supplier of the Year

Entries for the 2026 Awards are open until 31 July 2026, with shortlisted businesses announced in August.

The 60th Anniversary Conference and Exhibition will bring together Sterling members and suppliers for two days of business insight and collaboration.

Alongside the exhibition and conference programme, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in the group’s annual golf tournament and connect with industry peers across two evenings of networking.

Bidfresh adopts Podfather software

Bidfresh is using Podfather logistics software to boost customer service, improve efficiencies and inform reporting.

A subsidiary of Bidcorp UK, Bidfresh makes around 15,000 deliveries a week across the UK from 10 depots with a fleet of approximately 180 vans.

Following the implementation of Podfather, Bidfresh has reduced unnecessary mileage, has better transparency with customers on delivery status and timings, and has clear visibility of delivery performance.

Bidfresh uses Podfather across all depots and its headquarters in Southport. Sitting alongside the firm’s

order management and ERP systems, Podfather automatically receives delivery data to build, plan and manage routes, providing drivers with clear and sequenced instructions via the Podfather driver app. Using the app, drivers are also guided to

Early-careers support

Brakes has confirmed that it is continuing its partnership with Compass Group UK & Ireland for its Junior Chef Academy (JCA).

Having partnered with Compass on the programme since 2021, Brakes has played a pivotal role in enabling the Academy to grow into a national earlycareers initiative.

Aimed at children aged between 14 and 16 years old, the 10-week programme helps aspiring junior chefs embark on a transformative culinary journey.

To date, 23 Junior Chef

Academy programmes have been delivered across 10 regions, working in partnership with 11 colleges.

The programme has already supported over 300 young people, providing hands-on culinary training, mentoring from Compass chefs, and a structured pathway into further education and apprenticeships. So far, 11 students have progressed into Compass apprenticeships.

The two organisations have plans to expand the initiative to over 1,500 students in the next two to three years.

Brakes’ JCA sponsorship ensures every participant receives chef jackets, equipment and ingredients at no cost, removing financial barriers for young people – particularly those in left-behind regions where access to enrichment opportunities can be limited.

complete pre- and post-use vehicle checks, ensuring timely notification and resolution of any defects or issues.

Once a route is under way, customers are automatically sent ETA notifications which include the ability to self-serve live tracking data.

When on-site the driver captures date, time, and location stamped signatures and photographs as proof of delivery, together with any issue or exception reports.

This information is shared in real-time with the customer and feeds back into Bidfresh’s internal processes to support customer service, invoicing and issue resolution.

James Cartwright, supply chain & logistics director at Bidfresh, said: “As the business continues to grow and react to challenging operating environments and conditions, the ability to scale –without losing control or visibility – is critical, and Podfather plays a central role in achieving that.”

Prices locked

To support foodservice operators over the summer season, Booker has locked prices on over 600 products until 8 September.

The cash & carry operator has also launched its Summer 2026 Food & Drink Guide featuring menu ideas, new products and trending lines.

Booker has added three new lines to its recently launched Food to Share range – Waffle Fries, Potato Pops and Mini Brie Bread Rolls – all showcased in the guide and available under its Chef’s Menu own label.

For the on-the-go and takeaway market, Booker has rolled out a new range of value disposable packaging and kitchen essentials, including bagasse containers, plant fibre food boxes, and kraft burger boxes.

Nev Irani, MD for foodservice, says: “Our Summer

Guide gives our customers on-trend products that are easy to use, with great value through our Value Locked campaign on the products that matter most to them.

“We’re here for a full menu shop, those mid-game top-ups and unexpected heatwaves – always ensuring our foodservice customers have the products, tools and inspiration to create winning menus and outstanding dining experiences every time.”

Trade show success

Some 90 suppliers engaged with hundreds of forecourt operators and convenience store retailers at G.A.P. Convenience Distribution’s 2026 trade show.

The two-day exhibition was held at the CorpAcq Stadium in Manchester for a third consecutive year. Attendance from forecourt operators and dry site retailers was up 50% on last year.

Suppliers showcased products from car care to

confectionery, drinks to snacking, toys to technology, and leisure to non-food consumables.

Included in those exhibiting were G.A.P. subsidiary businesses Marine Supplies Direct, Straight 2 You, and Car & Caravan, with G.A.P. core brands Brookstone, Brookline, and Unipart taking centre stage in the company’s display area.

On-the-day deals resulted in a strong day of business.

Channel exclusive

SPAR UK has secured a channel exclusive on the new Lindt Lindor Pistachio Milk Chocolate Bar.

The new 100g bar (rsp £2.50) is available exclusively at SPAR stores across the UK.

The NPD is being supported through SPAR’s regional distribution centres – AF Blakemore & Son, CJ Lang & Son, James Hall & Co and Henderson Wholesale –ensuring national coverage.

Gemma Turner, senior trading manager at SPAR UK, said: “In a category where innovation and excitement drives footfall and basket spend, the Lindt Lindor Pistachio Bar is exactly the kind of standout product that gives our retailers a genuine competitive advantage.”

In other news, SPAR UK has reached a £5 million

Trends-inspired Christmas range

Creed Foodservice has launched its Christmas 2026 range, designed to help operators capitalise on the trends of Newstalgia, experience-led dining and social connection.

The influence of Newstalgia can be seen throughout the range, with traditional festive flavours reworked into contemporary formats.

This year’s range has also been shaped by the growing importance of experienceled dining. Christmas now encompasses a variety of social occasions, from workplace gatherings and festive lunches to informal catchups and sharing occasions across a range of settings.

In addition, Creed’s 2026 collection reflects the continued demand for elevated comfort food, combining familiar ingredients with premium touches and laboursaving convenience.

Capturing festive impulse spend is also important, and

the wholesaler’s seasonal bakery and impulse products offer significant opportunities for operators, with 58% of consumers and 79% of 25-34 year-olds saying that seasonal bakery launches appeal to them (Bakery Info).

Creed’s insights executive Gabrielle Evans said: “We’ve combined comforting festive favourites with innovative products, premium ingredients and shareable formats that create genuine moments of occasion.

“At the same time, we’ve remained focused on the practical realities of busy kitchens, offering solutions that deliver standout quality and visual appeal without adding operational complexity.”

fundraising milestone for Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. From in-store collections and bake sales to donations of a percentage of every sale from several own-label products, the fundraising activities have involved SPAR colleagues, customers and suppliers.

Ian Taylor, retail & brand development director at SPAR UK, said: “This achievement is a testament to the dedication shown by SPAR UK teams each day.

“We’re passionate about supporting good causes and are committed to giving back to communities in which our stores serve. The dedication shown to supporting Marie Curie since our partnership began in 2017 has been exceptional.”

Partnership

Sysco has renewed its partnership with Natasha’s Foundation, confirming a further three-year commitment to help drive greater awareness, education and research into food allergies in the UK.

The agreement builds on three years of collaboration, during which the organisations have worked together to strengthen allergen understanding across the foodservice sector, support the intent of Natasha’s Law, and develop practical tools that help food operators keep consumers safe.

This includes the development of training resources and digital content to translate complex regulation into actionable information.

Offering more than price alone

By Coral Rose

managing director

The Wholesale Group

There is no doubt that the role of own-brand in foodservice has evolved significantly in recent years, moving beyond a simple value proposition into a real opportunity for wholesalers to drive sales and margin.

Price will always matter in wholesale, particularly in a market where operators are managing rising costs across labour, energy and ingredients. But own-brand has become about much more than offering a lower-cost alternative. It’s now a genuine tool for wholesalers to differentiate themselves, build trust with customers and create stronger, longerterm relationships.

This shift reflects changing expectations from both wholesalers and operators. Our wholesaler members are more open than ever to trying own-brand products, provided that the quality and consistency are there. In fact, the perception gap between branded and own-brand has narrowed considerably across many categories.

At the same time, operators want products they can rely on every time, and wholesalers are recognising the importance of ranges that deliver on quality as well as value.

Foodservice is highly competitive and we know that our members are constantly looking for ways to stand

apart. A strong own-brand range allows them to offer something distinctive to their customers rather than competing solely on price. It also gives wholesalers greater control over range development and the ability to respond more quickly to changing customer needs and market trends.

Importantly, we’ve also seen a growing sophistication of own-brand portfolios across the sector.

At The Wholesale Group, we offer four own-brand ranges – CORE juices, CHEF Approved, CHEF Prestige and CLEAN Solutions – spanning eight product categories, and all created specifically for caterers.

Each individual range stands up to brands, whilst offering cost efficiencies – this isn’t about developing the cheapest options, it’s about ensuring consistent quality designed for a professional kitchen.

Own-brand partnerships also give consistency and supply chain confidence. Wholesalers want reassurance that products will be available, perform consistently and meet the standards their customers expect. Trusted ownbrand ranges can help provide that confidence, particularly when they are backed by strong supplier relationships and rigorous product development.

Brand recognition still has a role to play, but loyalty today is increasingly earned through quality, reliability and performance. That creates a significant opportunity for wholesalers to build meaningful own-brand propositions that deliver value in every sense of the word.

Members’ views

“Own-brand is generally cheaper of course – in the current climate that’s not to be underestimated. In some cases it can be half the price, giving operators a cheaper option than recognised household names, often without compromising on quality.

“Own-brands also drive customer loyalty. In some cases, as with CHEF Prestige, they’re a premium product that you wouldn’t consider a value option. We stock them because we know and trust the supplier – and once you can grow sales in an own-brand, operators get used to what they’re buying.”

Andy Allen, senior buyer, Ewood Foods

“For us, own-brand is about good quality at a sensible price. For some it’s just about getting the cheapest price, but we want something that can go up against brands. The CHEF Approved and CHEF Prestige ranges are as good as – if not better than –brands, but at a better price point.

“We’re finding more and more where people were insistent they would only buy mainstream brands, now they’re willing to look at own label, but only if it’s still good quality. If customers have faith, and they know it’s a quality product, then there’s no pushback.”

Chris Morgan, managing director, Waterside Food Services

CRG outperforms the market

Delegates at the Country Range conference heard that the group is moving closer to its £1.5bn turnover target as it helps its members and their customers achieve more profitable growth.

Country Range Group has achieved 9% growth year on year, outperforming the UK wholesale marketplace, which is up by around 2.4%, reported chief executive Martin Ward at the organisation’s exhibition and conference, held last month at Telford International Centre.

Ward told the 650 delegates that CRG is also the biggest it has ever been – it now has 17 wholesaler members in the UK, Ireland, Spain and the Channel Islands – including the newest recruit Peterborough-based King Brothers, which joined in January.

“All that adds to our scale,” said Ward. “There are some impressive numbers: 375,000 deliveries being made per month to 47,000 customers, and a really nice split across education, health and welfare, and hospitality. In terms of our turnover, we exited 2025 on about £1.1 billion, and this year we expect to top £1.2 billion.”

He added that group purchasing

should be in the region of £370 million by the end of this year.

The event at Telford included CRG’s largest exhibition to date, with 125 stands and £4 million in orders placed –another record for the group.

Notwithstanding this positive news, the group and its members have to be “extremely resilient” in the face of numerous macro challenges, said Ward. He pointed out that the Middle East crisis has brought difficulties from a buying perspective, including the price of fuel, packaging and fertiliser. Climate change resulting in crop failures is also causing issues with the supply of some CRG products.

“Then closer to home, we’ve got our own economic pressures: rising labour costs, national insurance, energy prices, and so on,” he said.

“We’ve also got regulation pressures in the industry. A good example of that is the School Food Standards currently under consultation and ready to come into effect in September 2027. It’s really important that we get that right as 25% of the group’s business is in education. Yes, we want healthy meals, but we don’t want children to turn away from school meals, so we need to make sure that we’re involved in that consultation.”

CRG is aiming to help caterers mitigate industry challenges through margin protection, helping them to simplify their operations, securing their supply,

and assisting them with the latest trends in the marketplace.

Last summer CRG conducted indepth interviews with customers, members and suppliers. As a result, the group has an ambitious new five-year strategy and plan.

Ward reported: “The mission stays the same – to enable foodservice wholesalers to achieve faster, more profitable growth – but we’ve tweaked our values: Collaboration – that’s collaboration between all wholesalers and our suppliers as well; Respect – that’s respect for all our stakeholders and for the planet; and Growth – we all want growth as wholesalers and we want to deliver growth back to suppliers too.”

CRG’s five strategic pillars are: Scale: CRG is targeting £1.5 billion turnover by 2030. It also wants to increase purchasing through the group from 32% to 35% of overall sales.

Own-brands: CRG wants to grow its own-brands to £250 million turnover by 2030. It currently has five own-brands, and it plans to launch a new front-ofhouse range early next year.

ESG: All CRG members have finished measuring their carbon footprints for 2025 for scope 1 and 2, and CRG is busy with its members and suppliers measuring scope 3.

Socially, CRG continues to support Springboard FutureChef and to work with Natasha’s Foundation.

A new initiative from Country Range is CRG Impact. “We’re committing to raise £1 million over the next few years for national and local charities,” Ward announced.

Digital: CRG is supporting its members to make the right choices in the digital space, whether AI or automation, and is continuing to create content that will increase traffic and engagement to their e-commerce platforms.

The group has also been running trials with members on click-throughs for promotions to make sure that it can deliver useful data back to suppliers.

Data: CRG is investing hundreds of thousands of pounds into what it describes as a new industry-leading portal.

“We think that this will be the best out there, and we think it will save a lot of time for our members and suppliers,” said Ward. He gave the example that if someone searched for baked beans, all the information that CRG has on baked beans would come up in the portal, whether pricing, terms, imagery or specifications. The portal should go live in the first quarter of next year.

CRG is also aiming to “reduce the friction for suppliers” in filling out new product line forms. Within the next couple of months, it will have just one new product line form at the centre that can be sent to all of its members.

Commenting on the group’s overall plan, Ward said: “If we can deliver that, we’ll certainly maintain our position as the leading foodservice buying group in the UK.”

CRG’s head of marketing Emma Holden drilled down into the specific challenges that different types of caterers are facing.

In hospitality, consumers are being more selective about where and how frequently they spend their money, while operators are being more selective about who they buy from and what they buy.

“Innovation is so important, as are trends,” said Holden. “If we are bringing a product or a trend to them, it must be backed up by insight-led positioning –that multi-use, multifunction, and lots of examples about how they can use it across different menus.”

Holden emphasised the importance of meeting the requirements of consumers taking GLP-1 medication. Some 6.2 million people in the UK have taken or are currently on the medication –double the amount of people that identify as eating a strict vegan diet.

“When you go to visit your customers or when you eat out as consumers, you would open a menu and the large majority of the time you would see multiple thoughtful options for someone who follows a vegan diet but there aren’t necessarily those options for someone taking GLP-1 medication.

“And it’s not just people that are taking the medication that want to prioritise fibre or protein or would like a smaller portion when they’re dining out, so it’s much bigger than that in terms of the opportunity,” she said. CRG recently released a GLP-1 friendly menus guide to help caterers tap into this opportunity.

In the care sector, demographic shifts mean that there will be “huge growth in demand”, said Holden.

She added: “This sector is already under pressure from a cost perspective but also from the complexities and the

nature of the menus that the operators have to provide for their patients and residents,” she pointed out. For example, care operators have to adapt meals to cater for people with dementia, dysphasia and diabetes.

“Because of all these complexities and constraints, a care operator is looking beyond the product and the service and availability; they want support with training around factors like this [catering for people with different dietary needs].”

In the education sector, operators are very tightly budgeted and regulated, Holden noted. “The overhaul of the school food plan is going to accelerate the pressure of an already underfunded policy of free school meals,” she predicted. Because of the need to be compliant, educational caterers want support on choosing the right products and also help with services like breakfast clubs.

“As you can see, there are lots of challenges within our marketplace but what those challenges give us is actually a huge amount of opportunity,” she maintained.

She concluded: “Increasingly, success in our market isn’t just about what we sell. It’s about how well we go beyond the plate to help our customers operate in all areas. If we do that, then collaboration isn’t just one of our values that we refer to, it actually becomes our competitive advantage.”

• CRG will host its annual ’An Evening With’ event on 17 December at Raffles London at The OWO.

• The group’s 2027 exhibition and conference will take place in Glasgow on 10 June.

Cyberattack: critical lessons

Paul Gerrard, Co-op’s campaigns public affairs & policy director, describes how the business responded to last year’s cyberattack and what it learned.

Agrowing threat to wholesaler and supplier businesses –indeed all businesses – is cyberattack.

”No matter how much you invest, no matter how much you prepare, no business is immune to a cyberattack,” said Paul Gerrard, campaigns public affairs & policy director at Co-op, at the recent FWD conference.

“Cyberattacks are going to get more sophisticated, they’re going to get more frequent, and they’re going to cause more damage.”

Gerrard, who previously spent 20 years in law enforcement for HM Revenue & Customs, said that the cyberattack on the Co-op in April 2025 cost it £300 million in revenue, £80 million in profit, and £20 million in one-off costs.

It began with an organised crime group gaining access to the Co-op’s systems. “They did that through really sophisticated social engineering, imitating a colleague,” he explained.

“We spotted that almost immediately because we suddenly saw a great deal of suspicious, unusual and malicious activity. Straight away our security defences kicked in. We were trying to close accounts down and to shut down their ability to access our systems.”

The Co-op’s forensics investigation team started to look deeply through all the company’s systems, and the Co-op quickly informed the National Crime Agency, the National Cyber Security Centre, various regulators including the Financial Conduct Authority, and relevant government departments.

The attackers put a piece of software in the Co-op systems designed to contact their own system 4,000 times every

Paul Gerrard: ‘We didn’t even consider paying a ransom.’

minute. At that point, the Co-op closed down multiple systems.

“The systems we were closing down weren’t the ones visible to customers. Online still worked, payment still worked, but it was systems like how we order stuff, how we pay for stuff, how we move stuff, where we send stuff to and in what quantities,” Gerrard explained. In the end, the Co-op closed down around 40 key business systems.

Immense impact

“We move hundreds of millions of items over a period of a few weeks to 3,500 stores. You close down those systems, you begin to see an impact – gaps in our stores, lots of empty shelves. The impact on some of our communities that we served was immense,” he said.

Gerrard also spoke about the difficulties in dealing with suppliers. “We couldn’t speak to them in the normal way, we couldn’t pay them in the normal way, but they stood by us the whole way through,” he commented.

“Our suppliers allowed us to get whatever product we needed out [to the stores]. We learned that if you have good, strong relationships with your suppliers – not just commercial contracts – they stand by you.”

The criminals extracted customer data. “We were very transparent – we told our 6.5 million members what had happened literally within hours of it being confirmed. That was important, A,

GIVEYOUR SHOPPERSA

because they needed to get information not speculation, and B, because they’re our owners. It’s their Co-op.”

The company also told other retailers what had happened. “We weren’t the first retailer to be attacked last spring but we were the first to tell our competitors what had happened and what they needed to do to protect themselves,” Gerrard said.

Long recovery

It took around three weeks from the first attack for the Co-op to rebuild its systems and become fully operational again. To recover took a lot longer.

So what did the Co-op learn? “This is existential. This can finish your business – it isn’t just a bit of a hiccup,” said Gerrard. “It’s also existential for the UK economy. How we respond to this as individual businesses and how we respond to it collectively as a business community is hugely important.

“We were fortunate that our systems were segregated, which means you can isolate them. If you’ve got old legacy systems they are very hard to defend. You’ve got to prepare your estate, and you’ve also got to prepare yourself as a leadership team.”

The Co-op board members had previously spent three hours on an exercise in business continuity in the event

of a cyberattack. “Did it help? Absolutely it helped – we knew who was supposed to do what, we knew what decision-making looked like, we knew who needed to be involved and who didn’t. That exercise allowed us to make quick decisions. If you’re not doing preparedness exercises, you will struggle,” he insisted.

Maintaining the company’s values is also important, Gerrard explained.

“How you handle the event will fundamentally have to be in line with the kind of organisation you are,” he said. “If you try to be something different in those moments of crisis you’ll get yourself into trouble. Values are what you do, not what you say, and values are what you do when the shit hits the fan.

“One of the things that the Co-op has always prided itself on is transparency. So once we knew what happened we told all our competitors, we told our members. And unlike others who were affected last spring, we went to the media – partly to reassure members, partly to say sorry, and so that people knew what had happened.

“Another lesson we learned is that the environment we’re working in isn’t fit for purpose. Businesses have got to get used to sharing information: about threats, about what’s happened, about how it happened, about technologies and interventions. It cannot be a

The National Cyber Security Centre is the UK’s independent authority on cybersecurity, providing cyber incident response to the most critical incidents affecting the UK.

It offers resources and advice on responding to a cyberattack at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ and gives guidance on where to report an incident at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ where-to-report-a-cyber-incident.

competitive point to keep a business safe. Businesses have got to wake up and think about how you work together against their common enemy.”

Gerrard said that the Government should also help facilitate information sharing. “There should be a legal obligation to say you have been attacked,” he maintained. “We didn’t even consider paying a ransom. There should be a legal obligation not to pay a ransom because UK businesses are more likely to be attacked in terms of cyberattacks than anywhere else in the world, and UK ministers are more likely to pay ransoms than any other country in the world. There might be a connection!”

Cybersecurity vacancies

He added that there are thousands of vacancies in the UK cybersecurity sector today. He also said that cybercriminals are often in their teens or early 20s.

“People who have been prosecuted for cyberattacks are in their teens, and these kids aren’t the kids who end up at Oxford and Cambridge doing a firstclass honours degree and end up in a consultancy. It’s the kids who are neurodiverse who might be a bit troublesome at the bottom of the class because they’re up all night gigging a game and doing Roblox.

“If you want to tackle it [cybercrime], if the UK wants to tackle it, it has to start to source talent – cybersecurity talent –not from graduates exclusively, but from a much broader range.”

Individuals involved in the cyberattack have been arrested, and the case is going through the courts. CCM

Giriraj Beriwal, managing director, Berico Food Distribution

Proper and practical

What have been your biggest achievements in work and outside of work?

In work, my biggest achievement has been helping to build the business into what it is today since our family took over the operation in 2017. We have expanded significantly over that time, growing the site from around 12,500 sq ft to 32,000 sq ft, increasing the fleet, growing the team, and strengthening our ability to serve customers consistently across a wider area. I am proud that we have grown while staying focused on service, reliability and doing things properly.

Outside of work, my proudest achievement is my family. [Beriwal is pictured second on right with his family.] Business is demanding, so having a happy home life and being there for my young son means a great deal to me.

Who has been the biggest inspiration to you?

My biggest inspirations have been my father and my wider family. From a young age, I always wanted to build something of my own, and my family gave me the belief to do that. When the opportunity came to go into business, it

became a genuine family effort, with everyone prepared to work hard and play their part. That support has stayed with me throughout.

What were your ambitions when you were growing up?

I always knew I wanted to run my own business. Even when I was young, I liked the idea of building something and creating opportunities. I did not know exactly what form that would take, but food was always an area that interested me because it was something my family naturally connected with. Over time, distribution proved to be the right route for us.

What are your interests outside of work and how do you maintain a worklife balance?

Outside of work, my time is mainly centred on family. I enjoy spending time with my son and the wider family, and I also try to make time for the gym when I can. In terms of balance, I think it comes down to building the right team and trusting people to take responsibility. As the business has grown, that has become more important, because you cannot do everything yourself.

How would you describe your personality?

Driven, hands-on and practical. I like things to be done properly, and I believe in putting the right people on the right tasks. In business and in life, my approach is to stay focused, work hard and adapt when needed. You must know when to push, when to listen and when to adjust your approach depending on the situation.

What is your favourite film, book and song/piece of music?

I don’t get a huge amount of time to read; I’m more of a podcast fan – I enjoy Raj Shamani and BeerBiceps, particularly because I find conversations around mindset, business and people interesting. I also like keeping up with new film releases, and Dhurandhar stands out for me. In music, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai is a favourite – it is a timeless song, and I like the values behind it.

If you won a holiday, where would you go and who would you take with you?

Dubai has always been one of my favourite places, although right now I would probably choose somewhere new. I would love to see more of America and Africa, but if I had to pick one place, it would be Singapore. I would go with my wife and son – for me, that kind of trip is about spending proper quality time together. CCM

Multi-role path

Giriraj Beriwal graduated from Middlesex University with a BA in Accounting & Business/Management. Before joining the family business, he had various sales and customer service jobs. His family took over Direct Source 2 in 2017 and the company became Berico Food Distribution in 2020. After working across the operation in hands-on roles including loading, deliveries and traffic control, Beriwal went on to become managing director.

VEGAN

Insight to unlock growth

TWC Group has launched Channel Track, which enables wholesalers and suppliers to understand what is happening simultaneously across small basket retail and hospitality.

Channel Track, a first-of-its-kind, multi-channel performance read built exclusively for the wholesale sector, has been launched by TWC Group. It tracks UK consumer food and drink purchasing, and is based on 10 million consumer debit/credit card transactions and tens of thousands of research interviews.

Channel Track delivers a continuous read of consumer missions, decisions, occasions and spend. It enables wholesalers and suppliers to understand what is happening simultaneously across small basket retail and hospitality to highlight true performance drivers and unlock growth.

According to TWC, for the first time, the industry can access a single, harmonised read built from multiple, independently robust data sources, including:

a Debit and credit card spend from 10.2 million UK consumers, covering 40,000 retail outlets and 183,000 foodservice outlets.

a 70,000 consumer research surveys in 2026.

a TWC’s SmartView Convenience, the EPoS market read for wholesaler-supplied independent convenience stores, representing 3.5 billion annual visits and a £30bn+ channel of 34,000 GB stores.

Each dataset is powerful on its own. Combining them has required significant methodological rigour and technical integration. It has been far from easy, says Tanya Pepin, managing director at TWC, but TWC has achieved it!

She says: “Channel Track is a breakthrough for the wholesale sector. For the first time, wholesalers and suppliers have a consistent, independently-verified view of performance across wholesale’s route to market, including convenience retail and hospitality. These data sources are each robust in their own right – but when combined, they create something far more powerful.”

Channel Track reflects how consumers behave today: multi-channel, fluid, and mission-driven. It moves beyond siloed reporting to show where growth is emerging, which categories are shifting, and how consumer occasions are evolving. It will enable the wholesale channel to quantify the ‘size of the prize’ and identify where to grow sales, profits and footfall.

Pepin adds: “Syndicated products become the common language of an industry. That’s what Channel Track is designed to be: a shared, trusted foundation for data-led conversations. And because TWC is the only agency working exclusively in wholesale, this matters as much to us as it does to our clients.”

TWC is the sector’s most-used data agency, with 90 wholesalers subscribing to its platforms. The business has also been voted Best Service Provider to the Wholesale Industry at the FWD Gold Medal Awards in both 2024 and 2025.

Channel Track now joins TWC’s suite of sector-specific products, alongside SmartView Convenience and SmartView Wholesale, strengthening the company’s growth trajectory and cementing its position as ‘the horse to back’ in wholesale insight and analytics.

Channel Track is available now, with monthly insight reports and bespoke deep dives for both suppliers and wholesalers.

Find the £2BN Hiding in Plain Sight

Introducing

from TWC Group — the new programme built to unlock 2 × £1BN growth opportunities:

£1BN in independent retail from marginal gains (more transactions + slightly bigger baskets)

£1BN in foodservice if consumers eat out just one extra time per quarter

CHANNEL TRACK DELIVERS THE 5 W’S OF GROWTH:

WHO is buying WHAT they’re buying

WHERE they’re buying it

WHEN they’re buying it (day of week/time of day)

WHY they’re buying it (missions, occasions)

Turn “what happened” into “what next”. Channel Track. Total cross channel clarity. Actionable growth.

Food delivered – just in time

STL helps wholesalers to run smarter, rather than harder, through its Evo software, and it is currently developing a new cloud-based enterprise solution specifically for foodservice.

Foodservice doesn’t wait, and neither can wholesalers. Chefs and caterers order what they need, when they need it. If it’s on the menu, it has to be delivered fast and in full. No errors. No excuses.

At the same time, wholesalers’ costs are climbing across the board, with labour, warehousing and transport all adding to the pressure. Yet, with customers struggling with the same issues, price hikes are challenging and margins strained.

According to STL, the only option is to run leaner, more agilely and in real time.

When legacy systems hold you back

That’s easier said than done if your systems can’t keep up –as First Choice Foodservice discovered. It was managing orders from 1,000 customers across 4,000-plus lines on an ageing Linux platform. Multi-channel demand was growing but its system wasn’t.

The result? Slow processes, limited visibility and a painful three-day monthly admin cycle just to keep accounts in order.

The company needed a solution to help it run smarter rather than harder, and it found Evo, STL’s advanced enterprise management software for wholesalers. This not only has specialist functionality for foodservice operations, but its open engine also means it seamlessly integrates with thirdparty solutions, including First Choice’s Sage 200 accounting software, Orderlion ordering app and Sales-i sales enablement tool.

STL says that its industry expertise was another draw. Steve Ainger, First Choice’s managing director, comments: “We were impressed with how hard STL worked to ensure a smooth migration. They understood how we operate, tidied up our source data, quickly resolved issues and kept things moving.”

Orders In. No rekeying. No delays.

STL Evo transformed how First Choice operates. Its telesales teams now see live customer history, pricing and promotions as they take calls which has boosted their productivity, and orders flow straight from Orderlion into Evo with zero rekeying, which has cut the potential for error and saved time.

In the warehouse, Evo enables orders to be picked by category – say fresh, frozen, chilled or ambient – then, at a click, consolidated by customer for streamlined dispatch and invoicing.

Even walk-in orders are handled seamlessly via STL’s integrated POS software.

Real-time control

For the leadership team, business-wide visibility has boosted responsiveness and decision-making.

Ainger says: “Evo is really intuitive to use and shows us exactly where we are at any time – with orders, stock, sales or gross profit margin. That’s helping us to respond more quickly to current conditions while more effectively planning for the future.”

20+ hours saved every month

The biggest gains, however, were felt in the back office.

With Evo and Sage fully integrated, split picks and separate orders are automatically consolidated into a single invoice. What was once a manual, multi-step process is now seamless.

Moreover, customer statements, which previously required printing, scanning, consolidating and emailing, have been reduced from three days’ work to just two hours at the click of a button. That’s more than 20 hours saved every month.

Ainger says: “Evo is the ideal solution for a foodservice operation. It’s given us control, efficiency, insights and flexibility.”

New cloud solution for foodservice

Even with this testimonial, STL isn’t standing still.

A new cloud-based enterprise solution specifically designed for foodservice is already in development, with a planned release at the end of Q1 2027.

The new STL Foodservice will be provided through a Software-as-a-service (Saas) – or subscription – model, giving wholesalers a lower-risk and more cost-effective way to transition to a more dynamic future.

In Foodservice, timing matters

When chefs and caterers need fresh supplies, they need ordering to be easy and deliveries to be accurate and timely. No fumbles, no surprises, no delays.

sector-specific enterprise software gives foodservice operators the real-time visibility, automation and control they need to:

· · Process orders quickly and deliver reliably

· · Maintain optimum stock levels

· · Eliminate error, inefficiency and waste

· · Track and respond to changing demands

· · Protect margins while staying competitive Intelligent control. Winning results.

Beyond the transaction

Oporteo advises wholesalers to unlock more from ecommerce than processing orders, and it offers solutions to help strengthen online visibility and support long-term growth.

Wholesalers invest heavily in expanding product ranges, negotiating supplier agreements and responding to changing customer demand. Yet many still find that large sections of their catalogue receive very little attention online. Customers naturally return to purchase familiar products, while new launches, specialist ranges and higher-margin lines can remain largely undiscovered.

It’s easy to assume the answer lies in increasing marketing activity, but online visibility isn’t simply about driving more traffic to a website. It’s about ensuring customers can actually find the products you’re already selling, maintains Oporteo.

Search engines have fundamentally changed how buyers discover suppliers. Rather than searching for a business by name, customers increasingly begin with a product, application or problem they need to solve. In many cases, their first interaction with a business isn’t the homepage at all – it’s an individual product page that appears because it closely matches what they’re looking for.

Gavin Hands, ecommerce specialist for Oporteo, says: “Businesses have spent years refining the buying journey, but the discovery journey is just as important. If customers can’t find your products in the first place, everything that follows becomes far less relevant.”

That changes the role ecommerce plays within wholesale businesses. Instead of functioning solely as an online ordering portal, ecommerce is one of the most effective ways to increase a company’s digital presence.

Every product page is an opportunity to appear in relevant searches, answer a customer’s question and introduce the business to someone who may never have encountered it before. As product ranges expand, so too does the potential to strengthen online visibility, provided those products are presented in a way that both search engines and customers can understand.

Historically, ecommerce has been measured by the efficiency with which it processes orders. Increasingly, however,

its value begins much earlier in the customer journey. A welldeveloped ecommerce platform isn’t simply supporting existing demand – it’s helping to create new opportunities by making more of the catalogue visible to prospective customers at the moment they’re searching.

“Visibility is no longer just a marketing consideration,” says Hands. “It’s becoming a commercial advantage because businesses that are easier to discover naturally create more opportunities to engage new customers.”

Once those visitors arrive, the website has another important role to play. Rather than simply helping customers complete the purchase they originally intended to make, modern ecommerce should encourage them to explore further through related products, compatible accessories, alternative options and complementary ranges.

The result is not only a better buying experience but greater exposure for products that may otherwise have remained unseen.

“Discovery shouldn’t end when a customer reaches your website. The strongest ecommerce platforms continue guiding customers towards relevant products and complete solutions, creating value for both the customer and the business,” he says.

Businesses that continue to view ecommerce purely as a transactional tool risk overlooking one of its greatest commercial strengths. Today, its value extends far beyond processing orders. Used effectively, ecommerce becomes a long-term visibility strategy that expands digital reach, strengthens customer engagement and creates new commercial opportunities long before a purchasing decision has been made.

As the role of ecommerce continues to evolve, now is the time to consider whether your platform is doing more than processing orders.

If you’d like to explore how ecommerce can strengthen your online visibility and support long-term growth, speak to Gavin Hands and the team at Oporteo.

If the price is right

With the cost-of-living pressure showing little sign of abating, value is a high priority for many convenience shoppers. For wholesalers and retailers, price-marked formats are a way to gain customer confidence, encourage trial and increase impulse spend.

Across multiple categories in convenience, pricemarked packs continue to play a vital role in driving sales. While retailers and wholesalers are mindful of the margins, it’s increasingly evident that shoppers are driven by the desire for value in the current climate.

Suppliers are supporting the strategy with promotional pricing, price-marked NPD, multibuy mechanics and impactful PoS materials, while wholesalers should be supporting their retail customers with an extensive range and a clear value message.

On-the-go snacking has regained traction in the convenience channel, with manufacturers encouraging impulse sales through PMP formats.

Jack Link’s believes that PMP formats perform an increasingly vital role in convenience and encourage basket spend through value perception.

‘PMPs are particularly effective in categories where shoppers want quick purchasing decisions and visible value’

Shaun Whelan, head of convenience, Jack Link’s

“Value will continue to be front of mind for shoppers throughout the year ahead, making PMPs increasingly relevant across convenience retail,” explains Shaun Whelan, head of convenience.

“Retailers are continuing to prioritise products that offer clear price reassurance and fast rate of sale, and wholesalers have an important role to play in ensuring the right PMP ranges are available.

“Impulse and food-to-go occasions remain key growth opportunities, particularly in categories such as meat snacks where convenience, portability and protein are all driving

A powerbrand partnership this year in the meat snacking category comes from the limited-edition BBQ Sweet Tang range between Peperami and Doritos, available from Jack Link’s in both plain and PMP format for independent retailers.

“The launch includes a convenient single format that works particularly well within PMP and food-to-go occasions, helping retailers and wholesalers drive incremental sales and appeal to younger shoppers,” says Shaun Whelan, head of convenience.

demand. PMPs provide wholesalers with a straightforward way to support retailers in balancing shopper value with strong returns.”

He adds: “PMPs are particularly effective in categories where shoppers want quick purchasing decisions and visible value. Within meat snacks, they help drive trial, encourage repeat purchase and support stronger shopper engagement at fixture.”

Kepak’s Rustlers brand has a strong presence in food to go and also benefits from impulse-led PMP purchases.

“With each of Rustlers best-selling products available as PMPs, the brand has established a strong and loyal following among shoppers for whom everyday value is as important as convenience and quality,” says Ross Davison, head of convenience.

“Well-merchandised pricemarked packs will even prompt consumers to purchase products that weren’t originally on their shopping list. With Rustlers catering to the food-to-go, meal for tonight, big night in and top-up shopper missions, secondary sitings of Rustlers PMPs in high footfall areas will also boost impulse sales.”

The £109 million chilled ready-meals brand (Nielsen) has also undergone a packaging refresh to improve clarity of messaging on-pack and highlight range differentiation.

Bagged snacks is another area where PMPs strongly affect sales. “PMPs have a 71% share of bagged snacks sales in independent stores and the top 10 best-selling SKUs are all PMPs,” says Stuart Graham, head of convenience & impulse and value channel at KP Snacks.

”With clear pricing and strong value perception appealing to cost-conscious consumers, they help retailers better serve shoppers at a time when cost-of-living pressures still dictate consumer spending.”

The manufacturer has price points from 40p to £1.35 to suit a range of demographics and missions. A recent launch is the £1.35 Nik Naks Xtra Hot ‘N’ Fiery PMP, capitalising on the current consumer desire for bold flavours.

There has also been a growing call for the nostalgic flavours of adults’ youth in the crisp category, leading to the re-emergence of Disco Pickled Onion after 20 years and Skips Salt & Vinegar after a decade.

KP Snacks’ extensive PMP range responds to consumer trends while keeping front of mind the importance of value perception in the convenience channel. “Our mission is to deliver the right products at the right price points to meet consumer needs and support sales growth for our retail partners,” Graham adds.

‘Well-established brands can be particularly effective in PMP formats because they combine strong shopper recognition with a clear value message’

Lauren George, Mars Wrigley’s external communications manager

In the confectionery category, PMPs perform particularly well across impulse-led formats such as single treats and sharing bags.

Mars Wrigley relaunched Maltesers White Chocolate in response to strong consumer demand, producing a 54g treat-size PMP to convey value and encourage trial.

Lauren George, external communications manager, says: “Well-established brands can be particularly effective in PMP formats because they combine strong shopper recognition with a clear value message. PMPs can also help support trial by reducing purchase hesitation. When shoppers can instantly see the price of a new product on pack, they may be more willing to try something different.”

She continues: “To maximise confectionery sales and profits, wholesalers should work closely with retail customers to ensure that a broad range of PMP products across different formats, flavours and occasions are available. Consumers have diverse preferences, so it is important to cater to different tastes and occasions.”

Mondelez International has introduced three new flavour extentions from well-established brands: Maynards Bassetts Tropical Fruit Mix, Sour Patch Kids Paradise Twist, and Sour Patch Kids Peach.

The new Maynards Bassetts offering is available in a £1 PMP and is supported by the brand’s ‘Set the Juice Loose’ campaign, which runs until September, while the Sour Patch Kids NPD taps into the rising demand for exotic flavours and vegan options.

“Maynards Bassetts and Sour Patch Kids continue to bring excitement and innovation to the confectionery aisle through bold flavours, playful formats and products that meet evolving shopper needs,” says Isabella Taylor, junior brand manager, candy. “These additions are designed to help retailers drive impulse purchases, recruit new shoppers into the category and create standout seasonal displays.”

The Sour Patch Kids brand is growing by 26.9% year on year and the launch of a Blue Raspberry variant last year was the second-biggest candy NPD launch of 2025 (Nielsen). The long-established Maynards Bassett brand continues to benefit from consumer trust and loyalty, and the Tropical Fruit Mix has further convenience appeal as non-HFSS-compliant NPD.

“With shoppers increasingly looking for more adventurous taste experiences, particularly within fruity and sour candy, these launches tap directly into demand for exotic flavours while offering retailers trusted brands with strong growth momentum,” Taylor states.

Also in the sugar confectionery segment, Swizzels has launched a new range designed to help convenience retailers drive impulse sales with striking, colourful £1 PMPs.

The Atomix range comes in high-impact foil packaging and reinvents classic Swizzels favourites in a bite-size format, answering the consumer call for playful flavours and textures while retaining shopper confidence in established brands.

WIIINGS FOR YOUR SUMMER.

Atomix Rainbow Drops and Atomix Refreshers Sour feature a colourful outer shell and soft chewy centre. Available now, the NPD is supported by a digital outdoor campaign alongside social media and PR activity.

“With Atomix Rainbow Drops and Atomix Refreshers Sour, we’re giving retailers something genuinely new to add to their confectionery fixture. The range has been created to tap into demand for sour flavours, colourful treats and familiar brands with a twist, all in an affordable £1 PMP format that is ideal for convenience,” says Clare Newton, trade & shopper marketing manager.

Confectionery supplier Fini has bolstered its inventive product offering with a comprehensive price-marked range.

“As shoppers continue to balance value with exciting and novel confectionery, products that combine clear pricing with strong visual appeal, distinctive flavours or playful products are well positioned to perform strongly,” says Steven Greaves, managing director UK&I.

“Many brands have expanded their price-marked pack offerings to support wholesalers and their retail customers in the convenience channel, helping them demonstrate value and remain competitive. Fini has responded to this with price-marked formats across its hero Tubes range, as well as Cinema Mix, Liquorice Wonder Mix and Jolly Jamboree, giving wholesalers a range that helps retail customers offer clear value while maintaining strong visual impact on shelf.”

Wholesalers are advised to highlight the success of PMPs in encouraging trial and impulse buying of confectionery.

Reduced-price PMP promotes Fanta

CCEP is focusing on summer refreshment sales with its promotion on the Fanta two-litre range. The multi-millionpound investment reduces the price from £2.15 to £1.89 on Orange and Fruit Twist variants, while launching Fanta Lemon two-litre at the same promotional price.

Bold front-of-pack messaging highlights the value proposition to shoppers while PoS materials and downloadable digital assets are available to help retailers promote the offer.

“We know visible value drives sales in convenience. By reducing our two-litre PMP to £1.89 and introducing Fanta Lemon into the range for the first time, we’re giving retailers a compelling reason to stock up and shoppers an equally compelling reason to buy,” says Ruth Fawcett, wholesale & independent convenience associate director.

She adds: “Summer is one of the biggest retail moments of the year for soft drinks, and we know shoppers are looking for brands they trust at prices that represent genuine value.”

“For wholesalers, the key is to back brands that combine innovation, proven performance and strong in-depot support,” Greaves advises. “Confectionery remains a highly impulse-led category, so ranges need to be exciting, easy to shop and commercially compelling, with price-marked packs playing an important role in providing retail customers with clear value cues that support faster purchasing decisions.”

AG Barr has also invested in PMP activity this year and highlights the importance of the strategy.

“We continue to see PMPs reinforcing value to shoppers and in many cases driving retail sales through offering transparency and trust,” says a company spokesperson.

‘We continue to see PMPs reinforcing value to shoppers and in many cases driving retail sales through offering transparency and trust’

AG Barr spokesperson

“The soft drinks category is one area that is particularly delivering on this. As the No.1 PMP category (Circana), with 40% of all soft drinks listings in independent retail being a PMP, they provide a powerful dual benefit: not only do they address shopper demand for value, but they are often not subject to the shrinkflation challenges seen in other categories.”

The supplier’s commitment to a price-marked strategy means that its main brands – IRN-BRU, Rubicon, Boost, Barr and KA – all offer PMP formats in the most popular pack sizes.

With two-thirds of shoppers feeling ‘very concerned’ about their budgets (TWC), it’s imperative that convenience retailers signal value, particularly in impulse ranges. With this in mind, AG Barr’s Boost energy brand is entirely available in price-marked packs.

With a regular pipeline of flavour innovation, this value proposition encourages trial while tapping into the current consumer trends of interesting flavours and zero-sugar options.

Meanwhile, the Rubicon RAW range highlights value to the increasing number of energy drink consumers looking for ‘better-for-you’ options.

“Our PMP portfolio is continuing to expand with new flavours to capture the latest consumer trends. At AG Barr, we can provide retailers with the right PMP range for their store, and we are committed to delivering lines that have a genuine positive impact for retailers,” says the spokesperson.

“Price-marked packs remain one of the most critical tools for independent convenience stores to communicate the value they can offer.”

Red Bull has built upon its PMP strategy to encourage additional sales in the convenience channel. It offers pricemarked packs across its portfolio, including Red Bull Original, Sugarfree and Zero in a range of sizes and formats.

The brand has established a strong shopper base using the accessible 250ml can as the hero price-marked format to drive trial. Now, for the first time, the brand is offering a 473ml price-marked can format on its Editions range as well as 250ml.

“This maintains the entry point for new consumers as well as providing loyal shoppers with the opportunity to trade up,” explains a spokesperson for the company.

“Price-marked packs are a key driver of sales in the impulse channel, with 46% of soft drink sales going through this format. Functional energy in particular works well with price-marked cans, accounting for 62% of sales (Nielsen), so it is a category where consumers expect to see them.”

Red Bull Editions have continued to drive purchase with limited-edition and seasonal launches that have strong onshelf visibility.

The latest is the Red Bull Summer Edition Citrus Zest, featuring the flavour of Japanese Sudachi lime. This follows the earlier launch of the Red Bull Spring Edition with the taste of Cherry Sakura, now available in both plain and PMP cans to ensure that convenience retailers and on-trade customers can choose the format that best suits their needs. CCM

Sneak Energy now in Bestway

Sneak Energy has secured a new listing with Bestway Wholesale, expanding access of the energy drink brand to independent convenience retailers nationwide.

The listing will see Sneak’s Purple Storm, Raspberry Lemonade and Cherry Limeade zero-sugar variants in £1.70 price-marked cans available to Bestway customers, and the range is also available on a promotion via Bestway Vans until 17 July.

MEAT SNACKS BRAND

Chock-full of opportunity

A combination of bestsellers, new products and promotions continues to draw consumers to the chocolate category for an affordable treat or on-the-go snack.

Chocolate is an important category for wholesalers and their retail customers, with shoppers continuing to make room in their budgets for affordable treats, trusted favourites and exciting new launches.

“For cash & carry operators, there is a clear opportunity to help retailers build strong chocolate ranges that combine bestselling core lines with seasonal innovation, promotional mechanics and impactful point-of-sale support,” maintains Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondelez International.

Innovation plays an important role in keeping the chocolate fixture engaging for shoppers. Indeed, research by Mondelez found that 68.6% of retailers see a rise in sales when NPD is stocked alongside the core range, while 72% believe NPD drives incremental sales.

As the UK’s No.1 chocolate brand, Cadbury is well placed to deliver against this trend. The recent launch of limitededition Cadbury &More Biscoff demonstrates how the brand continues to tap into shopper demand for flavour-led chocolate.

Also new from Mondelez are three Toblerone products: Toblerone Biscoff Diamond Truffles, a limited-edition Toblerone Crispy Caramel 340g, and a range of Toblerone 100g bars. These come in flavours including Milk, White Chocolate and the new Crispy Caramel variety and are targeted at evening indulgence occasions.

Social media influences what shoppers look for in store. Research by Mondelez found that 71% of retailers say consumers mention products they have seen on social media.

“This underlines the importance of stocking recognisable, talked-about launches that can meet shopper demand quickly,” says Nash.

Offering appropriate pack formats is also important, and Mondelez has recently introduced a new range of Grab & Go 56g bars in response to a shift in consumer behaviour, particularly among younger shoppers, towards more frequent, on-the-go snacking throughout the day.

The bars come in three of Cadbury’s best-performing flavours: Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations and Cadbury Dairy Milk Chopped Fruit & Nut. They are available in resealable £1.29 PMPs and plain packs (rsp £1.35), with each pack offering two portions.

To support the launch, Cadbury is running a promotion for both independent retailers and shoppers with a ‘Win Now’ and ‘Win Later’ mechanic and Amazon vouchers, cash prizes and days out to be won.

Promotions are an effective way to drive shopper engagement and encourage impulse purchases.

Cadbury’s current ‘Big Win-Win’ promotion is another example of activity designed to support shoppers and independent retailers, offering consumers and their nominated local stores the chance to win cash prizes.

While Cadbury Dairy Milk remains central to the chocolate category, Cadbury Bournville offers cash & carry operators an opportunity to help retailers tap into demand for dark chocolate. Bournville’s latest campaign is designed to make dark chocolate feel more approachable and features out-of-home, TV, radio, social and shopper marketing.

Mars Wrigley recently expanded its Twix range with Twix Hazelnut, designed to drive brand penetration and recruit the next generation of confectionery shoppers.

The NPD, available in single, Xtra and multipack formats, is currently being backed by a consumer activation under the brand’s ‘Two is More Than One’ platform.

Laura O’Neill, senior brand manager, says: “Twix Hazelnut is our most exciting flavour innovation for the brand in years. Recruiting the next generation of shoppers while keeping our existing fans engaged is our number one priority, and our track record proves that flavour innovation is one of the most powerful levers we have to unlock incremental growth.”

Ready to see summer sales?

Supplier activity in the ready-to-drink (RTD) category continues to produce new on-trend flavours and innovative packaging, while the rising consumer preference for off-trade social drinking has brought opportunities for retailers and wholesalers alike.

With today’s economic squeeze, consumers are increasingly finding ways to make their entertainment budget stretch further. As summer brings soaring temperatures and festival season gets into full swing, the convenience channel can profit from the social season.

On-the-go and pre-drinks are now standard occasions, for which the increasing range of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages and cocktails are ideally positioned. From big brand collaborations to Insta-friendly packaging, supplier activity in the RTD category continues to evolve at pace.

The flourishing RTD market has seen a rise in demand for higher-strength, premium mixes. Global Brands has responded to this with a new range of pre-mixed 18.8% abv cocktails. Its Quadz range comprises a four-strong line-up –Blue Razz, Cherry Daq, Lime Marg and Pink Marg – in a 200ml bottle format.

“The launch comes as highabv cocktails emerge as one of the most valuable and fastestgrowing segments within RTDs, with the subcategory currently valued at £82.2 million and growing more than 200% (NIQ),” says

Craig Chapman, head of brand. “Consumer and customer response so far has been extremely positive, reinforcing our confidence in the brand’s long-term growth potential among Gen Z shoppers, with Quadz built for big nights out, predrinks and on-the-go occasions.”

Meanwhile, the supplier’s VK brand continues to be a strong performer in the RTD market, thanks to its range of formats suitable for both at-home and on-the-go missions, and its association with the student shopper demographic.

“With VK, we invest heavily in consumer engagement through the brand’s student ambassador programme, which drives awareness across university campuses during key Fresher and Refresher periods,” Chapman continues.

“Drinking at home with friends has surged among Gen Z in particular, rising from 42% to 62% year on year, highlighting the importance of accessible formats for Gen Z consumers. VK is well positioned to jump on this trend due to its broad flavour range and established presence across its key student demographic.

“At the same time, innovation remains essential to category growth, with launches such

as Quadz meeting increasing demand for high-strength, flavour-led RTDs. Maintaining availability of core product lines while supporting newer brands will allow operators to meet ever-changing consumer preferences to maximise sales across the category.”

Global Brands ensures that cash & carries are able to highlight promotions, NPD and seasonal peaks to ensure maximum brand visibility.

“We work closely with our partners to drive sales and visibility through a range of tailored marketing support, from eye-catching PoS materials to depot takeovers and sampling activity,” says Chapman. “Our marketing team can provide everything from tower-end displays and pallet wraps to branded merchandise for depot days and in-store activations.”

Four Loko is another premium RTD brand that is proving to be particularly popular in the convenience channel. The US-based vodka RTD line-up is distributed in UK wholesale and retail by Red Star Brands and has experienced rapid growth since its UK launch in 2021.

‘Flavour remains the number one purchase driver, with tropical, candyinspired and nostalgia-led profiles performing particularly strongly’

Ryan McCann, director, Red Star Brands

Innovation this year includes the launch of Four Loko Remix, a 12% abv uncarbonated, caffeine-free product with recyclable, resealable Tetra packaging. Two variants are available: Berry Blitz and Peach Pulse.

“The innovative packaging offers consumers a practical alternative to traditional RTD cans while providing greater convenience across a variety of drinking occasions,” says Ryan McCann, director of Red Star Brands.

“Remix demonstrates Four Loko’s commitment to pushing category boundaries and recruiting new consumers into RTDs through disruptive innovation.”

New on the shelves is Four Loko Jackpot Raspberry Ripple, an 8.4% vodka-based, caffeine-free RTD flavour that extends the core Four Loko range to 11 SKUs.

This latest variant taps into the growing

consumer nostalgia trend. “Flavour remains the number one purchase driver, with tropical, candy-inspired and nostalgialed profiles performing particularly strongly,” McCann says.

“Consumers are increasingly seeking products that combine innovation, affordability and convenience, creating significant opportunities for wholesalers and retailers who invest in the category.”

While NPD is buoying the category, core products are also an important part of any retailer range as consumers increasingly seek flavour-led, spirit-based RTDs as an alternative to traditional cider and beer multipacks. Red Star Brands advises wholesalers to educate their retail customers on the value, convenience and flavour credentials of modern RTDs.

“Four Loko continues to invest in its best-selling flavours, including White, Hawaii, Tropical, Strawberry Lemonade and Camo, while expanding distribution across convenience, cash & carry and delivered wholesale channels,” McCann explains. “Red Star Brands supports wholesalers and retailers through a fully integrated marketing programme designed to drive awareness, trial and repeat purchase.”

Also new to the convenience channel this summer is the VOGO party pouch range from Young Spirits. Four variants of the 15% abv vodka-based RTDs are available –Strawberry Splash, Tropical Deluxe, Raspberry Blast and Citrus Zing.

The range targets the 20-35 demographic as a fun concept for on-the-go consumption. Each pouch contains a 35ml vodka serve mixed with fruit flavouring.

The launch is being supported by investment in PR, social media and amplification in the convenience and wholesale sectors. To encourage trial, Young Spirits has produced a starter pack containing 40 pouches – 10 of each flavour in shelf-ready packaging – along with PoS materials.

Expansion continues with new listing

Hard Rock Cocktails is continuing its rapid UK expansion with another significant distribution milestone: a new partnership with Youings Wholesale, a family-run wholesaler with more than 135 years of industry experience. It supplies businesses across the South West of England. This listing strengthens Hard Rock Cocktails’ mission to make its ready-to-drink range more accessible throughout the UK. Inspired by the iconic cocktails served in Hard Rock Cafes around the world, Hard Rock Cocktails delivers vibrant, bar-quality flavour in a convenient and stylish can.

The Zubrowka Polish vodka range, distributed by Paragon Brands, can be used for a variety of serves, including shots, summer cocktails and spritz drinks.

On-trend flavours include Vanilla, Mango & Passionfruit, Raspberry and Rosé Liqueur. These are available alongside the company’s flagship products Bison Grass Vodka and Biala.

This year, brand awareness will be increased by significant investment in social channels and Zubrowka’s ‘Go Wild’ messaging platform.

Another supplier aiming to tap into summer socialising occasions is Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. The drinks manufacturer has launched a mixed multipack in its Absolut Vodka & Sprite range. Promotional packs also offer consumers the opportunity to win tickets to four of the UK’s biggest Pride events this summer via a QR code.

“Summer is a key moment for the category and being part of these Pride events is a natural extension, given Absolut’s longstanding support of the LGBTQ+ community,” says Elaine Maher, associate director, alcohol RTD.

“Serving Absolut Vodka & Sprite at bars across these events also creates valuable trial opportunities, helping to build awareness and drive demand in retail.

“For retailers, the opportunity lies in making the most of these moments through strong availability, impactful instore execution and linking displays to key events to drive incremental sales.”

Brand investment to raise consumer awareness over the summer months is central to SHS Drinks’ marketing strategy. WKD’s £10 million ‘Got a WKD Side?’ campaign is expected to reach around 90% of UK 18-24-year-olds through outdoor, digital, experiential and shopper marketing activity.

“Crucially, that investment is not just about building brand awareness, it is designed to drive demand directly into wholesale and convenience by increasing visibility, prompting trial and giving retailers more confidence to stock and support the range,” says Scott Bell, marketing director.

“With dedicated activation planned across depots and retail touchpoints, the campaign gives wholesalers a timely opportunity to convert awareness into stronger sales and category growth.”

WKD Blue continues to resonate strongly with younger adult consumers, thanks to a product that taps directly into shopper demand for convenience, value and shared social occasions.

“There is a perception that younger adult consumers are

stepping back from alcohol, but the picture is more complex,” Bell explains. “They are drinking more intentionally, with greater emphasis on occasions and experiences, and are looking for brands that feel relevant to how they socialise today. That is where WKD continues to perform strongly.”

WKD Blue 4 x 275ml multipack saw growth of 500% in the 12 weeks to 18 April (Nielsen), and retailer sales possibilities continue to rise with the opportunities for secondary sitings and seasonal displays over the summer months.

Meanwhile, WKD’s entry into canned cocktails caters to the rise in pre-drinking occasions. “Inspired by popular cocktail serves seen in the on-trade, the range brings familiar flavours into the off-trade in an accessible RTD format, helping wholesalers and retailers add variety to their offer without losing sight of proven core performers,” says Bell.

‘There is a perception that younger adult consumers are stepping back from alcohol, but the picture is more complex’

Scott Bell, marketing director, SHS Drinks

Another WKD range extension suited to current trends is WKD X. The higher-abv, caffeinated cans have delivered volume and value growth of more than 67% (Nielsen) and offer a flavour-led trade-up in the RTD category.

“For depots, that strengthens the case for stocking a broader WKD range that can capture more occasions and drive higher basket spend, particularly as retailers increasingly expect those wider choices to be available in depot,” says Bell.

“To maximise the opportunity, wholesalers should align ranging and visibility with the continued growth in at-home socialising and pre-drinking, supported by brands that are already well established in the on-trade.

“That means stocking WKD Cocktail single cans alongside WKD Blue, the wider WKD core range and multipacks, while aligning ranging and promotions to seasonal peaks and key social moments.” CCM

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