Wholesaler Launches UK’s First Online Foodservice Marketplace

Namnews, 28th May 2021

Wholesaler Turner Price has launched an online marketplace for foodservice suppliers.

According to trade publication The Grocer, the business worked with Mirakl – an e-commerce software company that powers marketplaces for the likes of Carrefour, Auchan and Kroger – to launch the UK-first foodservice platform earlier this month.

The Turner Price marketplace now lists more than 10,000 products from trusted sellers and aims to have 50,000 products on offer by this time next year.

The company’s Sales and Marketing Director Julian Owen is quoted as saying: “We’ve been up to now doing it the traditional way. We’ve got four walls and stocked goods in our warehouses. We felt that was limiting the choice for our customers. We’re stocking the gravy we think they might want to buy, but the chef might be wanting something else.

“How do we expand? Do we buy more vehicles and warehousing space? That’s the traditional way for a wholesaler to grow. But why not be a leading digital food wholesaler? That’s what brought us to the marketplace model.”

Several brands have launched stores within the marketplace, including Teapigs, sports nutrition brand SCI-MX, and catering equipment supplier Nevilles.

Owen highlighted that it benefits from taking a commission on sales made by suppliers through the platform, whilst customers benefit from being able to buy everything they need for their business in one place. Suppliers manage the delivery of orders made on the marketplace.

Marketplaces have become a key e-commerce model in recent years, the most famous of which is operated by Amazon.

Turner Price said it hoped to gain “first-mover advantage” from being the first marketplace in the foodservice sector.

NAM Implications:

• Nice one, Turner Price!
• And first too…
• …thus giving the innovators advantage.
• Watch this space!