Co-op Wholesale confirms multi-year partnership with Roadchef

Co-op Wholesale has confirmed a multi-year contract with leading UK motorway service area operator Roadchef.

The contract includes bringing the Co-op offering to eight grocery stores, previously operated by SPAR, and will see an extensive range of own-brand products appear in motorway service locations across the country.

Roadchef has 31 locations and more than 52 million visitors annually.

Managing director at Co-op Wholesale, Katie Secretan, commented: “This is a huge moment for us as we enter our new chapter as Co-op Wholesale, and we’re delighted to be working with all the team at Roadchef. We’re looking forward to bringing a fresh approach to these stores, catering to the needs of all these customers and making sure they can access an award-winning own-brand range whilst on the move.

“The beauty of our flexible wholesale model means we’re able to work cross-functionally with the teams at Roadchef to select the right fascia and proposition for their locations and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”

Kevin Whitehouse, retail, procurement & supply chain director at Roadchef, added: “The complete offer from Co-op Wholesale really resonates with what we’re trying to achieve at Roadchef, and we chose to partner with them due to the strength of their own-brand range and distribution network. Our customers are looking for great quality products on the go, and this is exactly what we’ll be able to offer through Co-op Wholesale.”

The first stores are expected to roll out from June to September 2025.

In other news, Co-op Wholesale has announced an £800,000 investment into the wholesale selling price (WSP) of key Co-op own-brand lines.

This move will see Co-op Wholesale double the range of key Co-op own-brand products with a strong focus on competitive pricing, increasing the key lines selection from 50 to over 100 lines. The investment aims to offer retailers even more everyday essentials at improved value.

Using sales data to identify the most important products for independent retailers, the investment aligns with Co-op Wholesale’s promise to provide quality own-brand products at competitive prices, giving retailers an enhanced offer to compete effectively in the convenience sector.

Lines have had an average 3% reduction in wholesale selling price, with some as much as a 18.5% deduction, including £1.65 off Co-op Mixed Peppers, £2.99 off Co-op Milk Chocolate Malted Biscuits and 48p off the WSP of Co-op’s 12 Large British Free-Range Eggs 8 x 12-pack. There have also been reductions in the beers, wines & spirits category, with £3.60 off the WSP of Co-op DST Imperial Vodka 37.5% one-litre.