WHOLESALE
40 ASIAN TRADER 17 OCTOBER 2025
he UK wholesale sector continues to
show remarkable resilience and
adaptability, with September and
early October marked by major
partnerships, smart tech investments, and
solid financial results.
Even as inflation and cautious consumer
spending tested margins, the sector was pushing
forward, proving that innovation and collabora
tion remain its strongest currencies going into
2026.
The past month underscored one clear
theme and that was the power of partnership.
The past weeks brought a flurry of new
and renewed supply contracts that are quietly
reshaping the sector.
A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd made headlines by
becoming Marks and Spencer’s primary whole
sale partner for third-party branded products.
The multi-year deal introduces seven-day deliv
ery to more than 550 M&S stores nationwide, a
move that not only boosts product freshness and
availability but also aligns perfectly with M&S’s
Reshape for Growth strategy.
As informed by Alex Freudmann, Managing
Director at M&S Food, “Blakemore will be pro
viding an improved wholesale solution with a
full seven-days-a-week service that will increase
availability for our store and customers.”
Meanwhile, Co-op Wholesale continues
to consolidate its position as a leading force in
convenience and forecourt supply. It renewed
its supply contract to Ascona Group, one of the
UK’s largest independent forecourt operators,
for another five years.
CEO Darren Briggs cited Co-op’s own-label
range as “pivotal” to the company’s rapid growth
and customer trust.
Further strengthening its book, Co-op also
signed a long-term deal with NP Group, led by
retailer Neil Patel, who cited Co-op’s strong
own-label range, dependable logistics and fresh
food focus as key reasons for his commitment.
The agreement highlights how progressive
independents are aligning with wholesalers that
bring scale, brand depth, and consistency to their
operations.
Digital innovation remains a defining trend,
and Booker has stepped up its game with a
redesigned website and app aimed squarely at
independent retailers and caterers.
The updated platform promises faster
navigation, personalised product suggestions,
and smarter search – making ordering simpler
and more efficient. Booker’s addition of product
inspiration hubs also signals a push beyond lo
Partnerships, profits and digital progress define
a month of bold moves and quiet confidence
across the UK wholesale sector
gistics, positioning the wholesaler as a retail
partner that informs, supports and educates
as much as it supplies.
Designed with hectic convenience busi
nesses in mind, it features effortless navigation
and new high-resolution photography, making
shopping and discovering new products easier
and more enjoyable than ever.
Customers from the independent retail and
convenience sectors can access features that
enhance their online browsing and shopping
experience, such as visual shopping lists, per
sonalised homepages tailored to their fascia or
sector and product recommendations for pairing
suggestions that complement chosen items.
Even in a tough economic climate, leading
wholesalers are proving that strategic focus pays
off.
Parfetts celebrated a record turnover of £733
million, rewarding employees with a 14 per cent
profit-share bonus. The move underscores the
strength of its employee-owned model and the
culture of shared success driving its Go Local fas
cia, now edging close to the 2,000 stores target.
The company’s decision to exit Unitas
Wholesale by 2026 also signals confidence in
building direct supplier partnerships and pursu
ing growth on its own terms. Know more on
what is happening from joint managing direc
tors as they spoke in detail with Asian Trader;
read the interview in this edition.
Meanwhile, north of the border, JW Filshill
continues to impress.
In a robust set of financial results amid chal
lenging market conditions, the fifth-generation
business, based at Westway Park near Glasgow
Airport, and marking its 150th anniversary in
2025, increased operating profit from £4.2m to
£5m – an increase of 18.7 per cent. Profit before
tax increased by 22.8 per cent, from £4m to
£4.9m.
Filshill, which supplies KeyStore conveni
ence stores and independent retailers across
Scotland and the north of England, and national
accounts including the Scottish Prison Service,
continued to deliver against a clearly defined
corporate strategy and ambitions for the future,
as well as driving efficiency across the business.
Keith Geddes, chief financial and operating
officer, said, “This improved efficiency is more
essential than ever, given the increase in costs
driven mainly by changes to fuel, living wage and
employers’ national insurance costs.
“The company has also invested heavily in
the upskilling of many employees to take full
advantage of advancements in artificial intel
ligence and ensure that we make use of these
tools across all areas of the business.”
Giving and learning
Beyond the balance sheet, the sector’s spirit of
giving and learning remains alive.
Most recently, The Bestway Foundation,
the charitable arm of Bestway Group, donated
£250,000 to the British Asian Trust, further
cementing Bestway’s reputation as one of the
UK’s most philanthropic business groups.
The funds were raised at Bestway’s 32nd
annual Ascot Charity Race Day – one of the UK’s
most successful corporate charity events.
At the same time, Unitas Wholesale has tak
en a bold step in futureproofing the industry’s
skills base with the launch of its AI Academy, in
partnership with PAIR — a global AI learning
platform.
The initiative offers three progressive courses
— Fundamentals, Proficiency and Mastery
— tailored to the wholesale sector, helping
members and suppliers build AI confidence and
capability.
As John Kinney, CEO of Unitas, put it, “There
is no doubt AI will be driving our industry, and
the wider world, forward at pace over the com
ing months and years — and our members will
no longer have to fear being left behind.”
From multimillion-pound supply deals to
digital leaps and people-first profit sharing, the
UK wholesale sector is proving that momentum
can coexist with caution.
In a climate where stability is rare, the sec
tor’s steady mix of progress and pragmatism
stands out, whether through tech upgrades,
education or shared prosperity.
Wholesale steps forward