DeeBee Wholesale is increasing its number of company-owned stores to provide a testing ground for ideas that can be passed on to its 400 independent customers.

The company, which supports retailers under the Today’s fascia, acquired a 3,000sq ft shop in Bradford this month. It adds to an existing company-owned site in Grimsby.

Nick Ramsden, Dee-Bee Wholesale managing director, told RN the acquisition is part of a five-year strategy to help its independent retailers with new product categories. “We’ll be using the store to test new products out and one area we want to look at is chilled and frozen,” he said.

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“It will provide us with more opportunities to see first-hand how a retailer operates and we can see what works and what doesn’t. We can pass this onto independent retailers and help them react to the latest trends much more quickly.”

Ramsden added the additions will also enable the company to highlight the Today’s fascia to nearby retailers who are interested in switching to a symbol group.

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