Imperial Cash & Carry started out as an off-licence in west London in 1966 before evolving over the next two decades into a chain of off-licences.
In 1987, the business withdrew from retailing to specialise in the supply of wines, beers, spirits and other confectionery products to the on and off-trade.
Since 1987 Imperial has continued to expand, and now supplies trade only customers from a 45,000 sq. ft warehouse in Edmonton, North London.
Kali Mulchandani, Director at Imperial Cash & Carry, tells Wholesale Manager how the industry has changed over the years and what challenges wholesalers are currently facing.
Can you tell us a little of the history of the company?
Imperial Cash & Carry is a family-run business based in Edmonton, North London. My father started the company in the 1960s with just one off-licence and myself and my brother John joined him when we finished school.
By the 80s, we had six retail stores so it felt like the next logical step was for us to open a cash and carry to supply our stores, and any other local businesses we could attract. In the 90s, we decided to focus on wholesale and over the decades we have evolved into a 70,000 sq. ft operation, employing 35 people to provide over 6,000 specialist products to our 2,000+ trade customers.
Congratulations on Imperial Cash & Carry reaching its 35th anniversary. To what do you attribute this longevity?
We’re incredibly passionate about what we do, and we couldn’t be prouder to reach 35 years doing what we love.
As we were retailers, we understand the challenges and opportunities they face. We know what it takes to be successful, and we can bridge the gap between retailers and suppliers to create profitable growth for all stakeholders.
How is Imperial performing overall? Is the group in growth? What is driving the growth?
It’s been another great year for us. We’ve grown year on year since we switched our focus to wholesale.
We’re a single depot operation so we know most of our customers by face and name, we are very close to them. That makes a big difference as we’re nurturing relationships and really getting to understand their business needs.
We’re a specialist cash and carry which is a big benefit for us. We focus on beers, wines and spirits so have a vast range that you won’t get anywhere else. That differentiates us from the competition. There are not many cash and carries in our region where you will find over 150 gins.
What benefits does Imperial gain from being a member of Unitas?
It’s not just because of the buying power and recognition you get from suppliers because you are part of Unitas for us. One of the biggest benefits is the coming together of so many like-minded wholesalers.
All the support from the central office is excellent. The promo plans, ad plans, and much more all help our business on a day-to-day basis but meeting other members, and sharing insights and opportunities is also incredibly important for us. This will be my 29th year attending Unitas’ annual conference and every year I come away with a new idea or opportunity for our business.
What offers and promotional activities do you run?
We have an ongoing promotional activity. We follow the Unitas 3 weekly promo calendar, run 7-day specials, and every other month we invite suppliers in to run trade days.
Do you run a retail club?
We use the Unitas Retail Club featuring all products that have been negotiated centrally for us. We will also then add some bespoke products throughout the year.
How has the wholesale industry changed in recent years?
The basics are the same in terms of how we trade, but the way we approach suppliers and market ourselves has definitely changed, as has the way depots look.
We have a bigger focus on technology and digital now. As part of our focus on sustainability, we are moving away from printed materials where we can and switching to digital PoS. We now have multiple screen tower ends and displays in our depot. We’re also using WhatsApp more and more as a way to communicate promotions with our customers.
What challenges are wholesalers facing at the moment?
We’re very lucky that the majority of our staff have been with us for many years, but recruitment can be difficult when we need to recruit. It’s a challenging jobs market for all at the moment.
The cost of running depots has increased significantly in recent years. With the support of Unitas we are working hard to minimise the impact of that on the wider business.
How will wholesalers cope with and respond to the cost-of-living crisis?
We do appreciate that prices are going up everywhere, we’re just doing all we can to keep it as low as possible for our customers. The buying power of Unitas helps here. It’s really important that we negotiate with suppliers to keep increases minimal so our retailers can remain competitive and offer good value to consumers.
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