WHOLESALER JW Filshill has been ranked number one among UK wholesalers and convenience symbol groups for the 16th year in succession in independent surveys by the respected global organisation, The Advantage Group.
The 2026 Wholesaler (route to market) and Wholesaler Fascia surveys asked suppliers UK-wide to rate a defined set of wholesalers and symbol groups across several business areas ranging from category and business development and ease of doing business, to supply chain management and execution of promotional and marketing plans.
Some 400 suppliers participated in the annual surveys by The Advantage Group and evaluated the performance of Renfrewshire-based Filshill and its peer group of UK wholesalers plus the KeyStore business, along with other major operators within the convenience sector.
In The Advantage Group’s surveys, conducted between 13th January and 25th February 2026, researchers also asked suppliers to mark Filshill and KeyStore on their approach to sustainability, partnership, vision and reputation. Over 1,000 surveys were completed and 153 interviews conducted. All submissions were anonymous.
Chris Miller, Filshill’s chief commercial officer, said: “At Filshill, our goal is to work in partnership with our suppliers and find innovative ways in which to collaborate with them – and the results of The Advantage Group’s surveys reaffirm that our strategy is the right one. Suppliers value the insight and data that we gather from our advanced supply chain technology and by sharing it we can be part of each other’s success story.
“Of course, we are aware that there is always room for improvement and that is exactly why the feedback from suppliers is so valuable,” he added. “There is no room for complacency and the fact that Filshill is always available to have open and honest dialogue with suppliers is one of our key strengths – it enables us to find solutions and work together for mutual benefit.
“Working towards achieving mutual growth and profitability is very important to Filshill and strong relationships with our suppliers are always going to bring benefits to our customers.
“The results reaffirm our commitment to leveraging partnerships to provide promotions, pricing and range support to drive our retailers’ store performance, tapping into our ‘five reasons to join KeyStore’ campaign: delivery, social media support, KeyStore Community Fund, proven core range, and real business support.”
Meanwhile, the surveys revealed that Filshill scored very highly when it came to sustainability, trust, strategic alignment, capability and experience, and also in the ‘fair and equitable’ competency. Other strengths highlighted were people and organisation, along with planogram integrity, product innovation and supply chain.
Most improved competencies from last year’s surveys included range, forecasting and demand planning, and product innovation.
The Advantage Group also shone a spotlight on Filshill’s key drivers of partnership, reputation, execution and vision with collaborative business planning, delivering on commitments, and ease of doing business also highlighted.
One supplier, commenting on Filshill’s ability to deliver on commitments, said: “JW Filshill are very relationship oriented. They will share data freely if we ask, and there is always someone contactable, creating a very open and friendly environment. They plan two to three months ahead, and if there are any gaps in plans, the buying team will flag them to us. They then share evidence of what has been completed after the fact as well, so it feels like it is driving value on both sides of the relationship.”
On supply chain, another said: “Supply chain effectiveness is a real strength for JW Filshill, driven by clear leadership and a strong long-term vision. The goals and values of the leadership team flow consistently through the family-run business, right down to the warehouse floor. That unity of mindset creates a cohesive, aligned operation where everyone understands the direction and works toward the same objectives.”
Referring to collaborative business planning, a supplier noted: “JW Filshill are a fifth-generation, family-run business with a really high retention of staff. They have that family business orientation feel about them, which resonates with our business as a start-up and that kind of collaboration. They have good people, good processes, good systems. JW Filshill are more about co-destiny and working together collaboratively than they are about financial gain.”
Another supplier, discussing strategic alignment, added: “Strategically, JW Filshill are very simple to deal with. They outline what they want in terms of volume, what they can and cannot do, and what works for them. We discuss promotional periods throughout the year, when there are events on, and they share their calendars pretty early with us. We understand how they work as a business, and they are very forthcoming with ideas and willing to take on our ideas.”
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