Bestway restarts new customer registration for caterers and pet businesses

Bestway Wholesale said it has reinstated new customer registration for caterers and pet businesses. However, registration for new retail customers remains closed as retail stock continues to be in short supply.

“We are now able to open our doors again to catering and pet customers and this is largely down to the wonderful team we have in place and the actions taken to enable social distancing in our depots and our looking after of colleague safety,” Dawood Pervez, managing director of Bestway, said.

Pervez said the company is working with suppliers to ensure supply to local communities through the independent retail supply chain.

“We know how tough it has been for many operators to secure desperately needed stocks and supplies of products,” he said.

“We’ve been working with our suppliers and campaigning on behalf of independent retail stores and community shops to stress the importance of supply through our sector, so that vital products can directly reach people’s homes whilst staying local in the face of social isolation.”

Bestway’s Pervez slams suppliers giving priority to supermarkets

Pervez has been vocal in criticising suppliers who prioritised supermarket multiples, leading to shortages in the supply to independent retailers.

He urged those suppliers who continue to base volumes on pre-coronavirus numbers to “consider the new-normal of shopping habits and our reach and the number of people we support and therefore make us a priority.”

Bestway has announced an incentive for its customer-facing colleagues who will be rewarded with a 10 percent bonus for their hours worked, backdated to the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March.

The absence due to coronavirus at the company is now below 6 percent, it said.

The wholesaler is also stepping up its efforts to support the efforts to mitigate the crisis. It has decided to register Local Authorities and NHS trusts who are in desperate need of products to support those who are vulnerable or shielding.

“The next step we are about to launch will support our retailers in offering vital food-boxes to vulnerable people in the communities they operate in,” Pervez added.

Furore as convenience retailers accuse major suppliers of prioritising multiple supermarkets

As part of its coronavirus response, Bestway has managed to fast-track enrolment of stores nto the Uber Eats convenience delivery programme, and offered ranging and planning advice to any catering establishments now providing a convenience offer.

“We are receiving urgent requests every day: from supporting refugee charities in London, to helping community stores obtain stock in rural locations through the Plunkett Foundation and are getting heavily involved with DEFRA to support the vulnerable and to raise the issue of poor availability into the sector,” Pervez said.

“We believe that ethicallyit is our responsibility to support other’s in their times of need and we continue to work with organisations including the Felix project who are doing an amazing job of trying to provide food to foodbanks and projects in and around central London.”