Unitas launches Digital Excellence Academy

Members of Unitas Wholesale will soon be benefiting from a raft of digital advice after a new initiative was launched.

Delivered in partnership with Lumina Intelligence, the Digital Excellence Academy will offer advice and support to Unitas’s 165 wholesalers across several digital-related subjects.

Members will also be given the chance to get a digital health check on their business, which will rate and benchmark their online capabilities, while also identifying opportunities to grow sales.

To get the ball rolling on the Digital Excellence Academy, a Unitas member-exclusive virtual event will be held on 2 February to focus on best practice for B2B wholesale transactional websites and apps.

The launch comes on the back of news that Unitas’s union with another industry specialist, TWC, has created member sales topping £250 million with its Unitas Data Service.

The initiative, which was launched nine months ago, has seen key suppliers – including JTI, PepsiCo and KP Snacks – sign up to get insight on more than 30,000 SKUs.

As of 1 December, 25 wholesale members are signed up to the bring the total read of the service to £1.35 billion, with further additions agreed for 2021.

“Clearly 2020 has been a challenging year for the whole industry,” said Unitas Managing Director Darren Goldney.

“However, one where data has been an imperative in understanding fast-moving trends and changing consumer behaviours which have impacted our members and the supply chain, enabling them to respond quickly to either drive opportunity or mitigate risk.

“And we appreciate that our data service has represented an investment for suppliers, however, one that has paid significant dividends this year in keeping ahead of market turbulence, especially bearing in mind that we have seen far less ‘feet on the street’ over the last few months.

“We continue to be impressed by TWC’s ability to analyse data and provide valuable insight, in addition to the easy to use reporting solution which suppliers have found straightforward to access.

“The platform, which can be accessed by central office, members and suppliers is, without doubt, driving commercially robust decisions based on sector leading insight. This, combined with apps, is playing a pivotal role with both members and customers to drive engagement, best practice and loyalty.”

Darren Goldney data digital Lumina Inteliigence TWC Unitas Wholesale