Go Local makes new move in national growth push
EMPLOYEE-OWNED wholesaler Go Local Wholesale has announced its plans to expand on its retailer support team as part of its ongoing national expansion plans.
The UK wholesaler has announced it will grow its team from 55 members up to 75 as part of its ambitious growth plans and to serve its current estate of customers more effectively.
Go Local Wholesale, formerly known as Parfetts, said the 36% increase in its retail team will be able to support its 2,000 existing stores while helping the business to recruit around 500 new stores to the business each year.
Guy Swindell, joint managing director at Go Local Wholesale, said: “As we grow, it is important that we keep the close relationship we have with our retailers. Expanding the retail team means we can spend more time in stores, helping retailers to maximise the potential of their store space, product ranges and promotional activity.”
The expansion forms part of the wholesaler’s wider national growth strategy which has a target to have 3,000 symbol stores up and running across the UK within the next two years, and aims to increase turnover from £807million to £1billion within three years.
Its symbol estate includes the Go Local Extra, Go Local, The Local, Local 4 U and the forecourt-focused Shop & Go offer. Retailers under the Go Local Wholesale umbrella can also benefit from the firm’s Go For Growth programme which uses sales data, category advice, planograms and supplier insights to identify those opportunities for growth.
Swindell said: “We are looking to bring around 500 new retailers into the group each year, but growth has to be backed by the right level of support. Our RDAs are a big part of that. They know the retailers and their local markets and can provide practical advice that makes a difference to growth and profitability.
“Our ambition to become a £1bn business depends on our retailers succeeding. Employee ownership allows us to keep investing in the people, technology, depots and services that help them build stronger businesses.”
