Marketplace opens to encourage co-operation

Wholesalers from the entire UK are being asked to sign up to an initiative to redistribute food across the nation.

Led by Confex, the Wholesaler Marketplace is open to wholesale businesses of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds, giving them the chance to buy, sell and discuss issues in a secure online environment.

The plan has been devised in an effort to bring the wholesale industry together during the Covid-19 crisis, breaking down barriers to help foodservice wholesalers share held stock with retail-serving businesses that are struggling to purchase the quantities they need.

“Wholesalers are experiencing diametric fortunes since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak,” said Confex Managing Director Tom Gittins.

“Wholesalers selling to retail are experiencing unprecedented demand due to panic buying and they cannot keep enough stock to satiate consumer demand. On the other side of the coin, foodservice wholesalers have lost up to 95% of their customers as cafes, pubs and restaurants close their doors during the shutdown.

“Confex members felt they wanted to help save our industry and so we have opened up our Wholesale Marketplace to all wholesalers in an effort to redistribute food across the UK supply chain, bringing wholesale together as one.”

There are no costs, fees or commission connected to joining the group and can be joined on the Wholesale Marketplace page of the Confex website.

 ‘’As a foodservice wholesaler, many of our vehicles are parked up right now while food retailers can’t keep up with the surge in demand,” said Tom Mathew, Managing Director of Dunsters Farm and Confex board member.

“There is enough food in the supply chain for everyone if we can co-ordinate the redistribution. We hope the Wholesaler Marketplace can go some way to helping with this.”

Confex coronavirus covid-19 Dunsters Farm Foodservice retail wholesaler