UK's newest buying group The Wholesale Group expects to be the largest buying group in UK wholesale by the end of this year, and is targeting growth of 15 per cent in retail.
The only buying group operating at scale across retail and foodservice markets, The Wholesale Group was launched as the home of the independent wholesaler following the merger of Confex and Fairway in January 2025.
It supports 225 members, who collectively serve nearly 350,000 customers across the UK.
One year later, it has reported buying power of more than £4.5bn and represents around 14 per cent of the UK wholesale market. By the end of 2026, The Wholesale Group expects to be the largest buying group in UK wholesale.
Last week saw The Wholesale Group's Senior Supplier Briefing this week. It was attended by 186 supplier partners who were given exclusive updates on the group’s strong performance in its first 12 months, as well as a detailed look at strategic priorities, market developments and growth plans for the year ahead.
The Senior Supplier Briefing held in London marked the company’s first 12 months with a packed agenda over identical morning and afternoon sessions, under the theme ‘United for Growth’.
Jess Douglas, Managing Director, People & Operations, The Wholesale Group, opened the session by celebrating 2025 wins and setting out plans for 2026, before handing over to Tom Gittins, Managing Director – Retail, for an update on the retail business. Significant growth has been achieved in retail through members’ diversification, with greater engagement as members work with more suppliers.
Coral Rose, Managing Director – Foodservice, then showed what makes the group unique with an update on the foodservice business, which has increased members by 56 per cent and achieved 30 per cent sales growth in the last 12 months.
Other session that were held included a panel discussion exploring the current trading environment featuring names like Ruth Fawcett from CCEP, a presentation from Spencer Marshall, Commercial Manager for Food & Drink Wholesale UK, a marketplace update from Tanya Pepin, Managing Director, TWC and a discussion to exploreng the use of AI and data to boost productivity,