Member Article

Fairway’s collective group turnover smashes through £800m barrier

Fairway Foodservice’s members have increased their collective turnover past the £800m mark for the year-end 2018.

It continues a remarkable trend for the buying group, with the turnover increasing year-on-year since 1995, when it was £66m.

The majority of the 20 members experienced growth in the last 12 months, to support the 12 per cent rise from £715m to £801.5m.

And Fairway has already enhanced its digital marketing support for members to help facilitate further success over the next year.

Chief executive Chris Binge said: “Hard work, focusing on quality products and quality service gets its reward for our members who have experienced growth of 12 per cent in a challenging environment.

“Our wholesalers work very hard to meet the ever-increasing demands of caterers by delivering quality products at the right time at competitive prices.

“We constantly seek to improve and enhance our support and have recognised that integrating digital into their operations will play a crucial role in continuing to win and retain customers.

“As a buying group we have revamped our branding and website, and will soon be launching an app, all of which will benefit the members and their customers. In addition, we will work closely with members to help them make best use of digital including producing websites on their behalf if they require one and supporting them with digital marketing content.”

Fairway has also re-launched its popular own-brand range, which it hopes will result in more orders for its members.

“Our Fairway Assured range allows wholesalers to offer a product that fulfils the needs of caterers: consistent high-quality, appropriately sized cases, consideration of the usability in a professional kitchen. Our products are designed for professional caterers and this will lead to repeat orders, additional purchases, and word-of-mouth referrals.

“The new packaging that accompanies the Assured range has also had lots of positive feedback from our members, and I’m excited to see the impact this has on their sales.”

Fairway Foodservice is a buying and marketing organisation, which operates on behalf of 20 wholesalers based in the UK, Ireland and Spain. Founded in 1984 by five frozen food wholesale distribution companies, it has grown from a collective turnover of £7m in 1984 to £801.5m in 2019.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .