United Wholesale (Scotland) welcomed a record turnout for the Food & Drink Wholesale UK (FWD) Introduction to Wholesale programme at its Rainham depot on 12 November, showcasing how digital innovation, supplier collaboration and retailer education are helping shape the future of wholesale.
The event attracted the highest attendance in the programme's history, bringing together newcomers to the wholesale sector to gain first-hand insight into the industry, explore emerging opportunities and understand the importance of collaboration between wholesalers, suppliers and independent retailers.
Delegates were given a guided tour of United's Rainham depot, experiencing how the business is combining technology, data and category expertise to enhance the customer experience and drive commercial growth.
A key highlight was United's investment in digital innovation, with demonstrations of its United Connect ordering platform, My Pass digital promotions, immersive digital displays and Spin to Win activations. These initiatives are designed to increase retailer engagement, encourage depot visits and give suppliers new ways to connect with customers.
Through its Spin to Win initiative, retailers can discover new products and have the opportunity to receive a free case of a featured product they have not previously purchased, encouraging product trial and creating opportunities for incremental sales.
The tour also demonstrated United's approach to retailer education, with dedicated displays and clearly signposted emerging categories helping independent retailers identify changing consumer trends and new sales opportunities.
Delegates explored growth categories including functional and gut-health drinks, coffee, 187ml wines, ready-to-drink alcohol, low and no alcohol, and 5cl spirits. Rather than simply showcasing products, United's approach focuses on helping retailers understand consumer demand, purchasing occasions and the commercial potential behind each category.
Further innovation was demonstrated through the depot's electronic shelf-edge labels, which provide stock information and average weekly sales data refreshed every 15 minutes. This gives the depot team greater visibility of product performance, supporting replenishment decisions, stock availability and more informed supplier conversations.
Chris Gallacher, Managing Director of United Wholesale (Scotland), commented:
"Hosting the largest FWD Introduction to Wholesale event to date was a proud moment for United and a fantastic opportunity to showcase just how much our industry is evolving.
"Wholesale today is about so much more than supplying products. It's about using technology, data and strong supplier partnerships to help independent retailers make smarter buying decisions, discover new categories and ultimately grow their businesses.
"At United, we're continually investing in the customer experience, whether that's through digital innovation, improving stock visibility or helping retailers understand the opportunities behind emerging consumer trends. Every investment has a clear purpose and is focused on delivering real value for our customers and supplier partners.
"The feedback from delegates was fantastic, and I hope they left with a real sense of the opportunities this industry has to offer. I'd like to thank FWD, everyone who attended and, particularly, our Rainham team for their enthusiasm and for making the event such a success."