East N West Cash & Carry attributes its 20-year success to exceptional customer service, strong relationships with customers and suppliers, and a dedicated team.
As a family-run business, it focuses on building long-term partnerships rather than simply making sales.
Despite challenges such as inflation, supply chain disruption, rising costs, and changing consumer habits, East N West has continued to grow by investing in technology, expanding its product range, strengthening supplier relationships, and maintaining a strong focus on customer service.
Jateen Lakhani, Co-founder and Manager, tells Wholesale Manager about the biggest challenges he has faced as a wholesaler and his goals for the business.
Congratulations on reaching 20 years in business. To what do you attribute the company’s success?
Our success is built on three key principles: exceptional customer service, strong relationships, and a fantastic team. As a family-run business, we’ve always believed in putting our customers first and treating them as long-term partners rather than simply accounts.
We’ve also been fortunate to work with dedicated employees, trusted suppliers, and loyal customers who have supported us throughout our journey.
By continually investing in our people, technology, and product range—while staying true to our values of being small enough to care, yet large enough to supply—we’ve been able to grow while maintaining the personal service that sets us apart.
Can you tell us a little of the company’s history?
East N West Cash & Carry was founded in East London in 2006 by brothers Jateen and Kavit Lakhani. The starting point was simple: give independent retailers a dependable, responsive wholesale partner. Over two decades, the business has broadened from its local roots to serve retail, hospitality and selected export customers, while retaining family ownership and a focus on relationship-led service.
What made you want to get into wholesaling?
We were drawn to wholesaling because it is an industry built on helping other businesses trade. Independent retailers need more than a price list: they need stock they can rely on, a range that reflects local demand and people who understand the commercial pressures they face. That remains the most rewarding part of the business.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a wholesaler?
Like many businesses, we’ve faced some challenges over the past 20 years, including rising operating costs, supply chain disruption, inflation, changing consumer buying habits, and increasing competition.
The key has been staying adaptable and continuing to invest in the business rather than standing still. We’ve strengthened our supplier relationships, embraced new technology, expanded our product range, and focused relentlessly on customer service.
Every challenge has been an opportunity to improve, and that approach has helped us continue to grow while supporting our customers through changing market conditions.
What are your goals for what you want to achieve with the business?
Our goal is to continue building East N West Cash & Carry into one of the UK’s leading independent wholesalers, while never losing the values that have made us successful.
We want to grow our customer base, expand our product range, invest further in technology and AI, strengthen our nationwide delivery network, and continue providing exceptional customer service.
Success for us isn’t just measured by growth—it’s about helping our customers succeed, supporting our employees, and remaining a trusted partner to independent retailers for many years to come.
How is the company performing right now?
The business is performing positively and is trading ahead of the prior year. Turnover for the year to March 2026 was £41.53m, compared with £37.52m for the year to March 2025. Continued customer acquisition, investment in technology and the loyalty of long-standing customers have supported that progress.
Looking ahead, we see further opportunities to build on this momentum by expanding our customer base, strengthening our digital and delivery capabilities, broadening the range and continuing to develop supplier partnerships. While market conditions remain challenging, we are confident that our focus on reliable supply, personal service and long-term relationships will support sustainable growth in the years ahead.
Are your customers retail, foodservice or both?
We serve both retail and foodservice. Our customer base includes independent convenience stores, supermarkets, off-licences and forecourts, alongside restaurants, takeaways, cafés and caterers. That mix is valuable because it keeps us close to a wide range of consumer occasions and helps inform range decisions.
How far is the geographical reach of your business?
While our roots are in East London, our reach extends far beyond the local area. Through our own delivery network and logistics partners, we supply customers across much of the UK, supporting independent retailers and foodservice businesses nationwide.
We also serve selected export markets, enabling us to bring our products to customers beyond the UK. As we continue to grow, expanding our geographical reach remains a key part of our long-term strategy.
Are there any new products in the ranges you want to talk about at the moment?
We are continually developing our range to reflect changing consumer trends and the practical needs of independent retailers and foodservice customers. South Asian and world foods remain an important part of our identity, but the business now offers around 12,000 lines across grocery, drinks, confectionery, household, health and beauty, catering supplies and foodservice.
In recent months, we have introduced new products across world foods, convenience, drinks, confectionery and healthier lifestyle categories. We work closely with both leading brands and emerging suppliers, using customer feedback, local demand and supplier innovation to shape the range rather than simply chasing trends. This helps customers offer greater choice, respond to changing shopper preferences and stay competitive in their local markets.
Do you plan to expand the number of depots?
Our immediate focus is on developing the existing Barking operation: improving digital capability, logistics and customer service. We will keep future expansion options under review, but any decision would need to enhance service rather than simply add scale.
What benefits do you get from being a member of The Wholesale Group?
Being a member of The Wholesale Group provides significant benefits for both our business and our customers. It enhances our buying power, giving us access to competitive pricing, exclusive promotions, and strong partnerships with leading suppliers.
We also benefit from valuable market insight, shared industry expertise, and collaboration with other independent wholesalers. Ultimately, our membership enables us to offer our customers greater value, a broader product range, and the high levels of service they have come to expect from East N West Cash & Carry.
Do you have an e-commerce site for your customers?
Yes. Customers can browse the range, place orders, view promotions and manage their accounts through the B2B e-commerce platform and mobile app. Around half of orders are now placed online or via the app, but we see digital as an additional service rather than a replacement for telesales, account management and face-to-face support.
How do you think the wholesale industry has changed in recent years?
The wholesale industry has changed significantly in recent years. Customers now expect greater convenience, faster deliveries, competitive pricing and seamless digital ordering, while wholesalers have had to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruption, inflation and changing consumer buying habits.
Technology has become an increasingly important differentiator, particularly where it improves ordering, warehouse efficiency and customer support. It enables wholesalers to operate more efficiently and provide a better overall customer experience.
However, the fundamentals of wholesale have not changed. Wholesalers still need to understand their customers, keep promises on service and use strong supplier relationships to create value. We believe the businesses best placed for the future will be those that combine digital capability with human expertise, reliable supply and the personal relationships customers continue to value.
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