Confex appoints TWC in new data partnership

wholesale buying group Confex, with nearly 50 years of trading experience andan annual turnover of £2.16 billion – has partnered with data and digital experts TWC, to launch Confex Data Insight, a new sales reporting platform which is set to bring competitive advantage to its members and identify opportunities for suppliers. The wholesale reporting solution, which went live this week, has already seen strong engagement from key suppliers who now have access to the new system.

The new data service hosted on TWC’s SmartView platform, will give a reliable read on group sales performance, including Central Distribution, and evidence what is happening across the group, providing unique insights to the Head Office team, its suppliers and members. This will help them understand market influences and opportunities to assist them accelerate growth and commercialise opportunities as evidenced in the data.

“The partnership represents an important strategic investment that will enable Confex to support its members by giving them easy access to valuable insight and information to help them grow their business,” said Tanya Pepin, Managing Director at TWC. “The system also enables suppliers to understand group performance at a total level and by named member as well as Central Distribution, to identify opportunities and to drive growth.”

The SmartView platform also enables Central Office staff to gain clarity on sales performance and have data-led conversations with suppliers about how to develop sales. Participating members are also given access to SmartView which means that members, suppliers and buyers are all seeing one version of the truth of Confex performance.

“Confex key suppliers and members have been very supportive since the inception of this project, emphasising the desire for growth through collaboration across the Confex Group. Phase 2 of this programme will see a weekly data feed accounting for over 60% of Group sales as we move forward into 2022,” said Tom Gittins, Managing Director at Confex.

We look forward to working with our members, TWC and our supply partners to create market leading Insight for the Independent Wholesale channel.”

Tom Fender, Development Director at TWC, commented: “Data is one of the most powerful components that wholesalers hold in their business and undoubtedly can provide the acceleration to growth. We are delighted that Confex has recognised the power of data and value of optimising opportunities quickly and decisively in today’s technology driven society.”

The partnership with Confex is another example of TWC’s continued success at engaging with and working with buying groups as Caterforce, Country Range, Unitas and Parfetts are already using the service.