Bestway Wholesale is to start a new van sales operation following the collapse of Palmer & Harvey’s Snacksdirect and Sweetdirect van businesses.
Bestway is endeavouring to make the creation of this new arm as seamless as possible, and plans to have the vans on the road and selling to retailers on Monday 22 January.
The Van Sales business will service over 20,000 retail customers with a fleet of 180 vans that Bestway has acquired from P&H’s administrators. The vans will be calling on the 20,000 retailers every two weeks.
The new division will be led by Noel Robinson, who previously headed up the P&H operation. Robinson will report directly to Bestway Wholesale Managing Director Martin Race.
Many of the P&H Van Sales staff will also be re-employed by Bestway Wholesale to facilitate a smooth transition for customers.
Martin Race, Managing Director of Bestway Wholesale, said “The new Bestway Van Sales division is a welcome addition to the business. We feel we will be able to drive operational efficiencies by running the Van Sales business out of our existing network of depots.
'Moreover, as many customers look for alternative sources of supply after the collapse of P&H, this move will reinforce our ability to offer further support and supply customers, continuing to demonstrate our commitment to the wholesale channel and to independent retailers.
'As a result, and buoyed by the groundswell of support from our supplier partners, we feel the launch of this new service to customers will be a great fit for us in delivering our future growth plans and building on our already close relationships with customers.
“For over 40 years Bestway has invested in and championed wholesale and independent retail, and we are totally committed to delivering the level of service our retailers deserve. The addition of the Van Sales business will make Bestway Wholesale even stronger and will enable us to help service independent retailers even more effectively as they compete in an ever-changing retail space.”
Dawood Pervez, Trading Director, added, “This business gives Bestway further reach in the distribution of its supplier partners’ products. Together with our depot network, telesales function, web and app channels, and sales and development teams, we have the widest and most integrated solution in the market.”