Deal gives giant a Glasgow city centre presence
WHOLESALER Bestway has confirmed the takeover of Sher Brothers Cash & Carry Business in Glasgow, for an undisclosed sum, after lengthy discussions.
The deal, which was completed last month, will see Sher Bros integrated into the Batleys Scotland division of Bestway Group.
The depot will have dual Bestway Batleys branding and will come under the management of Batleys Scotland.
The move brings the total number of depots trading under the Batleys Scotland umbrella to eight. Batleys has a further 20 depots nationally including three pet warehouses.
The wider group also has 35 Bestway depots, and so now has 63 depots UK-wide.
Younus Sheikh, managing director of Bestway said he was pleased to have completed the deal.
“Bestway is continually looking at expanding our business whether that is through the investment in new sites or through acquisition,” he said.
The purchase of Sher will give the Batley brand a presence in the heart of the city as well as the depot in Cambuslang – which is showing impressive double digit growth in 2014 – and demonstrates the Bestway Group’s commitment to Batleys and Scotland.”
He added: “Sher Bros has been a great wholesale institution over the years and we are confident that under the Batleys brand, we can develop the business both among existing and new customers. Batleys Scotland will now undertake a strategic review of the Sher Cash & Carry business and we would like thank all the staff who have contributed to the business and look forward to working with them in the future.”
As reported in last month’s Scottish Grocer, the much anticipated Bestway takeover of Sher Brothers could mean that competition among wholesalers in central Scotland intensifies.
Glasgow-based United Wholesale Scotland is currently doubling the size of its Maxwell Road depot in Glasgow’s South Side, which it says is already the busiest depot in Britain.
United Wholesale Scotland also plans to open a new depot later this year in Newbridge in Edinburgh.
And the Glasgow wholesale scene has several major players including Booker, United Wholesale Grocers, JW Filshill and others including specialist wholesalers such as the confectionery supplier Hancocks.
