Wholesale buying group Unitas is to expand its core own-label range, as purchases of the category nearly doubled annually.

During its last financial year ending March 2022, the firm, which has the LSV, Sun Spring water, Prince Consort spirits and No 3 tobacco products, revealed that its purchases of “own label and some proprietary brands” had increased annually from £64m to £111m.

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Unitas Wholesale managing director John Kinney told Better Retailing that this increase in sales, alongside a greater demand for value from customers has led the company to expand its own label lines.

He added: “We see demand for value continuing into 2023. Own label hasn’t been a massive strength of ours, but retailers want to provide more value and we want to provide a solution. We’re developing right across the board but we’re focusing on core. We’re not expanding for the sake of expansion. Customers want the right products.”

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