How to use the Wholesaler Search Tool
About the Search Tool
Use our Wholesaler Search Tool to explore key information about the UK’s Retail and Foodservice Wholesalers. Use it to…
- Understand which Wholesale partners are the right fit for your product and customer-fit
- Find key contact and form information on how to get in touch or apply to be considered for a listing
- Understand the different scale, specialisms and regional coverage of Wholesalers, from National Buying Groups to local wholesalers
- Feel confident you have ‘covered the market’ and considered all major UK Wholesalers in this sales channel
How to use the Search Tool
There are two levels of detail:
1. The Search Page – search using keywords, locations or apply specific filters (press the cog icon)
2. Wholesaler Profiles – dive into detail for each wholesaler, with data on their scale, customer base, level of SME engagement and more.
Explanations of Key Fields
SME Engagement – this is an assessment (High, Medium or Low) as to how much this wholesaler is known to embrace and trade with SME suppliers. It is based on the experience of the YF Community and assessments of each Wholesaler’s range, offering and strategy. A rating of Low should not mean you do not consider the Wholesaler, as this depends on your strategy and whether you are targeting less SME saturated channels.
Size – this is split into 3 Tiers, covering Tier 1 – Large or Nationwide, Tier 2 – Midscale or Regional, and Tier 3 – Small or Local. This is an estimate to help you understand the scale of their operations and customer base, and therefore potential distribution impact. This also includes Buying Groups (see below for explanation)-
Regional Coverage – this is a broad categorisation of their main customer regional locations. They may deliver to customers beyond these regions, but this should be a guide of their main focus.
Customer Types – these are split between Retail (i.e. shops where customers purchase products often to take home) and Foodservice (i.e. sites where customers purchase food usually to eat on the premises). As part of each category there is a subcategory breakdown. Note that as with regions, each Wholesaler may supply some customers in different categories, however the categorisation is intended to show the majority of their customer base to help you prioritise.
Product Types – indicates whether that Wholesaler offers products that are Ambient, Chilled or Frozen. Again it may represent the majority of their trading, rather than being completely representative. This category also includes Household products, representing any non-food consumer FMCG, e.g. pet food, beauty products, cleaning products, etc.
What are ‘Buying Groups’? – these are organisations that represent groups of Wholesalers to help them source and negotiate with suppliers, as well as support them in other ways to operate
