The Wholesale Group’s member turnover rises by 10.1% in first half of 2026

The Wholesale Group saw combined member turnover rise by 10.1% to £4.6 billion in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

Foodservice accounted for £2.66 billion of the total, up 10.3%, while retail accounted for £1.94 billion, up 9.7%. Total turnover was generated by the group’s 241 members serving 350,000 end-user customers through 28,477 SKUs across 142 categories. Frozen was the standout category, up 77% year on year.

The past 12 months has seen 161 new supplier partners welcomed to the group, all four own-brand ranges extended, and own-brand SKUs grow by 80 lines to 209 – including the launch of CORE Juices, already forecast to reach £500,000 in their first year.

News of the performance was announced at The Wholesale Group’s 2026 conference, held recently in Tenerife. Themed ‘New Horizons’, the event brought together 115 delegates and included 632 one-to-one business meetings and new Member Roundtables.

The conference also set out the organisation’s ambition to increase group turnover to £5 billion and reach a 15% share of the UK wholesale market – growth that the group says will come from deepening its existing membership rather than simply adding more members.

In addition to the presentations by the central office team, delegates heard from industry executives, with FWD’s James Bielby discussing the political landscape, TWC’s Tom Fender highlighting current market trends, and Shop AI’s Ilann Hepworth considering the future of AI and the mantra of ‘Human First’.

New this year, The Wholesale Group introduced a morning of Member Roundtables, giving members dedicated time to sit down together and share first-hand experience of the pressures facing the sector today, including staffing, sustainability, market consolidation and the rising cost of doing business.

The format reflects one of the four pillars – Member Community & Interaction – behind The Wholesale Group’s three-year plan.

“There is nothing quite like bringing members and suppliers together face to face, and Tenerife’s beautiful north gave us the perfect backdrop to do just that,” said Jess Douglas, managing director – people & operations at The Wholesale Group.

“The Roundtables also achieved exactly what we hoped: members speaking candidly with one another about the pressures they’re facing – from staffing to sustainability – and leaving with practical ideas they can take straight back into their own businesses. These events show how integral relationships and human interaction are in developing business across the buying group in these difficult times.”

Chris Georgiades, managing director of group member AC Georgiades, added: “The TWG 2026 Conference was the ideal mix of networking, valuable information and, of course, having fun while doing so.

“Having all suppliers under one roof provided a fantastic opportunity to discuss everything from brand plans and pricing to future opportunities, helping us strengthen relationships and gain valuable insight into what lies ahead for the industry. A great weekend all round and a real reminder of the value of being part of The Wholesale Group.”

Douglas concluded: “What struck me most was the strength of collaboration in the room: members and suppliers alike recognise that we are stronger working together than apart. And as a group offering scale in both retail and foodservice, we are in a fantastic position to grow business for every member and supplier we work with.”

The Wholesale Group’s 2027 conference will be held in Montenegro.