Confex showing half-year growth

Buying group records positive results in first six months of 2019

Growth is on the rise across the board at Confex as the buying group recorded an increase in sales value for the six months from January 2019.

The group, which is also a member of Unitas, has shown an 8% growth to half year across its top 20 suppliers spanning both retail and foodservice.

The news comes as Confex celebrates signing up its 27th new member in 2019 when Northern Ireland-based wholesaler, DW Carlisle, joined up at the end of July. January also saw the group announce the appointment of former Landmark Managing Director Martin Williams as chairman, which was seen as positive step for the business.

And Williams himself says that the numbers on show represent a continuation of that positivity, with some promising factors behind the growth.

“Confex growth is being driven by the Food To Go category,” he said. “New product categories such as natural energy and protein are being welcomed by the Confex wholesaler, giving them a point of difference as the local wholesaler of choice.

“The Confex wholesaler has always been focused on service and so the diversification of their product range is symbiotic with their customer demand.”

Posting positive half-year figures is a surefire way of showing any doubters that things are still progressing at Confex, despite headlines from earlier in the year that 20 members were leaving to join a breakaway group, National Buying Consortium, which is being headed up by the buying group’s former Business Development Director, David Lunt.

Lunt’s departure has in part been replaced by the hires of business development managers Simon King and Matt Norma, while the new members has added £189m to the Confex’s buying power, with “aggressive plans” in place for further growth in the remainder of 2019.

 

buying group Confex half-year Martin Williams Members NBC results