Confectionery retailer SoSweet is to open a wholesale business, giving convenience stores access to hundreds of products imported from Europe and the Americas.
SoSweet currently operates 10 stores serving the public across southwest England, with plans to open more sites over the next year. The firm’s success has been driven by an extensive range of more than 250 pick’n’mix, novelty and international products, including those imported from the USA, Mexico, Turkey and Spain.
SoSweet director George Robinson told RN the firm’s success has prompted it to open a wholesale arm, offering retailers the products available in its own stores at “competitive prices”.
Robinson said: “Whether it’s convenience stores or other sweet shops, we’ve had thousands of enquiries that have built up from people wanting to purchase from us in a business-to-business format.
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“It’s something in the pipeline. We’ve got a wholesale website built and ready to go. We’ve also got plans to offer an in-person wholesale shopping experience in North Devon, where we’re based, as there’s nothing else locally that can offer that. The opportunity is coming, but we want to make sure we can do it properly first.”
Minimum delivery terms and geographical coverage are still to be determined. Robinson said: “We’re retailers ourselves, and we know how to market and sell the products that customers will be offering. We’re already working with a logistics company, so we can offer a better service delivering to retailers rather than relying on standard couriers. We can work with haulers to do direct drops to specific areas and make sure customers receive their orders.”
Explaining how the in-person shopping experience would work, Robinson said existing and potential customers would be invited to a warehouse where they can view the company’s range, and be provided with information about the products. Retailers can then order the stock online for delivery.
The firm has also generated a large following on social media platform TikTok, through videos and selling products on the site’s own consumer marketplace. Robinson told RN the firm would also use its expertise to help stores improve their TikTok profiles.
He added: “I’d like to think we can offer more services and help retailers sell more of our products through marketing on social media.”
Asked about the company’s top products, Robinson cited US-imported Fanta, Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew, Cheetos and Takis, as well as products from Mexico.
For the full story, read the 1 September issue of RN
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