Gary Mullineux, Managing Director at Caterforce Ltd, says AI will transform many aspects of wholesaling.
What do you think will be the biggest emerging trends in wholesaling in 2026?
AI will continue to transform forecasting, inventory management, pricing, and customer personalisation. Predictive analytics will help wholesalers reduce waste, improve stock accuracy, and anticipate customer needs with far more precision.
What will be the key categories to watch out for?
Despite value pressure, consumers still seek quality for special moments, this will translate across to desserts, bakery and signature mains. Cuisines such as Korean, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and Latin American continue to shape menus.
How can wholesalers best prepare for 2026?
Invest in digital infrastructure, online ordering, real-time stock visibility, AI forecasting. Diversify product ranges to balance value, premium, and health-led choices. Improve delivery efficiency through route optimisation and greener fleets.
Do you think online shopping will increase over the next year?
Wholesale customers increasingly expect frictionless online ordering. As wholesalers improve their online platforms this path to purchase is only going to increase in 2026.
Do consumers still love local shopping?
Absolutely. Local shopping is strong where there is community connection, local provenance and high standards of service. All qualities that our 10 regional wholesalers excel at.
Will wholesalers become more reliant on AI and robotics?
Yes, significantly. I expect to see increased use of automated warehouses, robotics in picking, smart routing tools, AI-driven demand planning and Natural-language ordering (voice / chat interfaces). AI won’t replace people, but it will reshape roles, shifting teams toward added value human interactions.
Will wholesalers adopt more sustainable practices such as eco-friendly packaging, reducing transport emissions, and implementing recycling programmes?
Yes, I believe this is increasingly a requirement not just for public sector contracts, but private sector operators also expect their chosen wholesaler to prioritise eco-friendly packaging, greener delivery fleets, energy-efficient depots, waste-reduction programmes and carbon measurement.
Will consumers stay in more and will there consequently be more products aimed at in-home consumption?
People are still looking for moments of escape, connection, and experience, things they simply can’t recreate at home. But with budgets tightening, they’re becoming more selective. This means that hospitality operators will need to work harder to win those visits through premiumisation, added value and experiential dining.
Will healthy eating and wellness be even bigger trends in 2026?
Consumers want healthier choices without compromising flavour or convenience and with the increase in people using GLP-1 to manage weight loss I think we will start to see lower calorie options across menus and more small plates.
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