Co-op Wholesale partners with Roadchef in multi-year deal
Co-op’s recently rebranded wholesale arm has confirmed a multi-year contract with UK motorway service area operator Roadchef to drive growth.
The contract includes bringing Co-op’s offering to eight grocery stores, previously operated by Spar, and will see an extensive range of own-brand products appearing in motorway service locations across the country.
Roadchef, which has over 52 million visitors annually, continues to invest in modernising its sites. Co-op Wholesale said this latest partnership will mark a key milestone for the motorway operator in enhancing customer experience through greater choice, convenience, and quality.
The first stores are expected to roll out from June to September 2025, with further opportunities being mutually explored.
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Co-op Wholesale managing director Katie Secretan said: “We’re looking forward to bringing a fresh approach to these stores, catering to the needs of all these customers and making sure they can access an award-winning own brand range, whilst on the move.
“The beauty of our flexible wholesale model means we’re able to work cross-functionally with the teams at Roadchef to select the right fascia and proposition for their locations and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Roadchef retail, procurement and supply chain director Kevin Whitehouse added: “The complete offer from Co-op Wholesale really resonates with what we’re trying to achieve at Roadchef, and we chose to partner with them due to the strength of their own brand range and distribution network. Our customers are looking for great quality products on the go, and this is exactly what we’ll be able to offer through Co-op Wholesale.”
Last month, the Co-op Group rebranded its Nisa wholesale division as Co-op Wholesale, in a bid to re-affirm its commitment to the independent retail sector.
Just last week, the retailer’s rebranded division unveiled plans to invest £800,000 into the wholesale selling price (WSP) of key own-brand lines to drive value for retailers.
The move will see the wholesale arm doubling the range of own-brand products from 50 to over 100 lines, using sales data to identify the most important products for independent retailers.
