Record sales growth for Parfetts

Employee-owned wholesaler Parfetts has announced that it made sales in excess of £634m in the last year

The increase in like-for-like sales of 4.7% on £605m in the last financial year comes after a year of investment into protecting retailer margins through an expanded promotional programme, including events like the company’s annual Parfest. Its Go Local fascia has also expanded to more than 1,100 stores.

As a result, all eligible Parfetts colleagues received a 4% tax-free sales bonus in July.

“We’ve placed our retailers at the heart of our business,” said Guy Swindell, joint managing director. “As an employee-owned company, we can invest in creating great margins and providing a great experience whether you come into the depot or order online. As we continue to expand, we are seeking to aggressively grow our Go Local, Go Local Extra and The Local fascias while our new depot in Birmingham has raised the bar for the industry and gives us a base to service the Midlands and M40 corridor.”

Parfetts saw record sales of more than £21m in the week to 14 July thanks to Parfest, the company’s annual celebration of the convenience sector. Parfest 2023 saw all eight Parfetts depots enjoy a week of deals, festival food, music and supplier activations. The week-long event was built around 500+ deals on more than 1,000 products designed to help retailers increase margins.

Noel Robinson, joint managing director of Parfetts, said: “It’s essential that our retailers enjoy a best-in-class experience however they choose to do business with us. Parfetts has increased investment in its digital platforms and logistics to ensure our delivery offer is reliable and scaleable.

“Parfetts is seeing online orders grow and they now account for 40% of our total sales. This has been achieved without a drop in cash and carry sales. Online allows us to extend our geographical reach and support more retailers.”

AG Parfett and Sons Guy Swindell Noel Robinson sales