BIG INTERVIEW
PARFETTS
70 ASIAN TRADER 17 OCTOBER 2025
Now in its fourth year, Parfest is a
week-long celebration of the cash and
carry sector, combining promotional
deals with music, food, competitions,
and a festival atmosphere that brings
thousands of retail customers
through the doors.
This year, Parfest held in July is
touted as their largest to date, with
over 500 brand activations across
depots nationwide, attracting a
record footfall of over 12,000 retailers
and featuring over 1,000 deals across
all categories.
Swindell is unapologetically
enthusiastic, “Parfest is a great
opportunity even for our delivered retail
customers to come in, experience the best of
Parfetts, meet the managers, meet members
of our team.
“We get working on it for weeks. Year on
year, they’ve been incredibly successful. It
feels so good to see our retail customers
flocking to the depots during Parfests and
making the best of the deals.
“It is also a great way of bringing the suppli
ers in front of the retailers. It is a win-win for
everyone.”
When it comes to new age tactics, there’s
no shortage of bytes and bots in Parfetts these
days.
Half of its turnover is now ordered online,
whether through apps or desktops, Swindell
revealed with a hint of pride.
“We are consistently investing on our
digital side to make the retail customer
journeys on our ordering platform as smooth
as possible, almost similar to the journey
when they visit our depots.
“We also strive to give them similar service
levels, the relationship, and the promotions
and even education pieces on the digital front.
“We have a whole department now around
digital, constantly evolving and developing,
whether it’s the ordering platform or our
digital communications.
“All our literature now is sent out digitally,
whether it’s via WhatsApp or notifications
through the app. Our app is open to all
customers, whether they order online or not.
“The retail customers are made aware of
new lines on the platform, sometimes
through digital takeovers as well. This gives an
opportunity for suppliers to get brands in
front of the retail customers, even though
they’re just online.
“So yes, a lot is happening in terms of
engaging customers online with non-stop
developments really and lot of investments,”
he said.
Parfetts is one of the leading wholesalers
to be using artificial intelligence (AI) in its
system as well.
“We have intuitive bits and pieces on our
platform in terms of a user ordering history so
that they can find what they want quickly.
“We are looking at prompting
around regional lines, like what one
should be stocking depending on their
area. So yes, we have started introduc
ing bits and pieces of AI around our
systems.
“We are using some bits in our system too
around data analysis. However, we’re still
really passionate about putting people’s
welfare above anything. So we are definitely
not looking to replace any human and utilise
AI instead,” he said.
Challenges and future
Even the best feels the strain of rising costs
and shifting regulation. With economy in
not-so-bubbly phase, the pressure on the
wholesaler is rising. Every player is feeling it,
so is Parfetts.
Robinson spells it out, “Our cost of doing
business is constantly rising. Additionally, the
government legislations that have been
passed in the last couple of years are not very
friendly.
“We are holding our breath to see what
this budget is going to bring for us. I know all
our retailers and wholesalers are in the same
boat.
“Labour cost is also huge for us because we
are a low-margin business. The rise in
minimum wage was an eye-watering
increase.
“We don’t cut on efficiency and quality to
save on costs so the rise in overheads is hitting
us. It is getting harder and harder every year.”
Swindell chipped in, “Card processing fees
are also a real challenge. We were just
speaking to the bank this morning about this
issue to find common ground. We are paying a
lot of money as the fee.
“This issue is affecting all wholesalers. And
it doesn’t seem that the government is
listening to us or even acknowledging this
issue.”
On being asked for one wish which they
could be granted by the government, both
Swindell and Robinson agreed on going easy
with the policies.
Swindell said, “We need to grow, don’t we?
If business is just staring into additional costs,
it’s going to make them think twice about
growth plans and where to invest and
where not to.”
Growth is essential indeed and
Parfetts is clearly on a rapid growth
trajectory.
This conversation also coincided
with the announcement of the
wholesaler’s plan to exit Unitas, UK’s
largest buying group, something
which the duo called a natural
progression.
“Clearly the business has enjoyed
substantial growth over the last few years
and particularly around the symbol estate.
“Go Local has always been an independent
strategy of ours. Our digital strategies have
always been independent. Our own label
strategy, which we began in recent years, is
obviously independent of that. Our promo
tional strategies are independent. Our sales
force is independent.
“So, over the years, we’ve had our own
independent strategies that have been
incredibly successful and continue to be so.
Our relationship with suppliers is great.
“I’ve enjoyed the relationships we’ve built
up with Unitas throughout this time. But as
we move now to being a national operator
with the symbol estate and the depot
expansion and the number of symbol stores,
we have outgrown a buying group.
“For us, it’s all about delivering return on
investment for suppliers. We can showcase
that within our business. We just felt this is
the right time,” Swindell said.
Robinson added, “We have got so much
more to offer. We have a great equation with
our suppliers and our customers.
“We now need to maximise the opportu
nity for everyone. I believe we are better on an
independent footing alone. So we can
negotiate our terms, packages and promo
tional patterns for the years based on having a
single group of 2,000 retailers plus, which is a
very exciting place to be.”
As the session came to a wrap, it became
clear that Parfetts is in no mood to slow down.
“We are thundering towards £1 billion
turnover, 2,000 plus symbol groups, world
class digital experience for retailers, suppliers
and colleagues.
“And possibly a new cash and carry as well,”
Robinson quipped with a classic grin.
And if this story so far is anything to go
by, the best at Parfetts is still very much to
come.