Fairway Foodservice and Confex has announced it is merging to form The Wholesale Group, a new wholesale buying group providing retail and foodservice support for independent wholesalers as they navigate the ‘changing dynamics’ of the wholesale landscape.

 The new group will officially launch on 1 January 2025 and will be led by be led by joint managing directors Tom Gittins and Jess Douglas with Martin Williams and Coral Rose as co-chairs. Existing members of Confex and Fairway Foodservice will become members on this date.

Gittins said there are “no membership fees” and “every member receives a share of the profits”.

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Gittins continued: “Put simply, this is the buying group that the sector needs. The Wholesale Group will be the only UK buying group to offer an extensive retail and foodservice range and expertise, alongside logistics efficiency via central distribution. It has an award-winning foodservice own brand supported by bespoke, coordinated member marketing and retail member support. We are delighted to launch The Wholesale Group as we know it is the solution for the independent wholesaler.”

The Wholesale Group will represent more than 12% of UK wholesale, and is expecting to see £4.47bn in annual turnover from its 253 depots across the UK.

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

Rose said: “For our supplier partners, The Wholesale Group provides an efficient and powerful route to market through enhanced scale and capability. For our members, it is clear that Confex and Fairway have long held similar cultures and ethos, focused on celebrating and championing family businesses with members at the heart of everything we do. By coming together, we retain this member-centric approach but are even stronger, while building for the future.”

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