Following its Foodservice Fair in Stratford Upon Avon Racecourse, The Wholesale Group is celebrating after increasing both attendance and sales from its first event earlier this year.
The group’s second show since its formation in January saw more than 105 suppliers host stands in order to connect with 82 different wholesale businesses to discuss future business plans and explore exciting growth opportunities.
The average spend per member dramatically increased (+36%) with suppliers averaging 12 new member leads for new business. Not content with standing still, The Wholesale Group added new elements for the show, including a dedicated marquee to showcase Chef Approved and Chef Prestige, the group’s own brand product range as well as a Food Truck Village promoting outdoor event catering and food-to-go products.
The group’s new chairman Mark Aylwin praised the event: “As my first event since becoming The Wholesale Group Chair on 1 September, I was hugely impressed by the passion and commitment shown by both members and colleagues. The energy in the room, the level of supplier engagement, and the clear focus on growing independent wholesale all reinforced that this is a market-leading collective, setting new standards for what a buying group can achieve.”
Suppliers were quick to agree: “This was our first time attending The Wholesale Group trade show and the interaction with members was exceptional,” said Hemant Patel, Roxane Waters. “We are developing a great relationship with the group’s retail and foodservice wholesalers. We came away from the show with lots of new leads plus we put in place some great growth plans with those we are already dealing with. Well done to the TWG team for a very well-run event which was a great use of my time.”
Mark Simpson, KTC Oil, also agreed: “This event was our first for this group and there was an excellent buzz all day,” he said. “We were dealing with both Confex and Fairway previously, but since becoming The Wholesale Group we have seen sustained growth and drive from both members and head office. A diverse membership base helps us to sell a wide variety of SKUs across the group, creating sustainable business and long-term relationships which continue to grow.”
Members also benefitted from the chance to connect with suppliers. “We enhanced existing contacts with some suppliers and opened up conversations with many new ones,” said Michael J Cole, Chairman, All Shires. “It was great to learn more about the group’s advancements on systems and tech, all of which will be extremely useful to us.”
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