The benefits of a united front
Athif Sarwar learned the wholesale business at his father’s knee. But now that his father, Mohammad Sarwar, is a Labour MP busy walking Westminster’s corridors of power on behalf of his Govan constituents, the experience is really coming into its own.
Originally, Athif’s father ran the business with his brother Mohammad Ramzan, but three years ago the two divided the business between them and went their separate ways.
Ramzan retained the original name of United Wholesale Grocers (UWG) for his share of the business, which now operates out of north Glasgow.
The MP renamed his operation United Wholesale (Scotland) (UWS), which has two depots in the south of the city. And now it is Athif who is driving the UWS business forward, calling on the experience he gained during his free time after school, at the weekend and in his holidays. He completed a marketing and business degree about five years ago and joined the then UWG as a buyer in non-food. He was promoted to manager of the non-food department and then moved on to become operations controller for the whole business.
When the cash and carry business was divided, he became managing director of his father’s UWS, and has since increased turnover of the two cash and carries by 109% to £20m.Turnover is likely to grow again this year and Sarwar has earmarked a site for an additional 70,000 sq ft depot.
The new depot will be in direct competition with his uncle’s UWG cash and carry, but when it comes to business, Sarwar will let little stand in his way.
“At the end of the day, the Glasgow market is only so big. If we want to increase our sales, we have to get extra business by taking that from someone else and we don’t care who we step on to get there,” he says.
He revamped the business by switching from Landmark to Nisa-Today’s, reshuffling his management team, converting his non-food depot into an alcohol cash and carry and beginning a hard focus on marketing and pricing.
UWS introduced the Today’s Group’s Day-Today fascia option for members of its retailer club after a series of discussions with members.
Sarwar’s determination to create a high level of customer service, has included offering credit schemes, a Privileged Customers Club and retail development packages.
Athif Sarwar learned the wholesale business at his father’s knee. But now that his father, Mohammad Sarwar, is a Labour MP busy walking Westminster’s corridors of power on behalf of his Govan constituents, the experience is really coming into its own.
Originally, Athif’s father ran the business with his brother Mohammad Ramzan, but three years ago the two divided the business between them and went their separate ways.
Ramzan retained the original name of United Wholesale Grocers (UWG) for his share of the business, which now operates out of north Glasgow.
The MP renamed his operation United Wholesale (Scotland) (UWS), which has two depots in the south of the city. And now it is Athif who is driving the UWS business forward, calling on the experience he gained during his free time after school, at the weekend and in his holidays. He completed a marketing and business degree about five years ago and joined the then UWG as a buyer in non-food. He was promoted to manager of the non-food department and then moved on to become operations controller for the whole business.
When the cash and carry business was divided, he became managing director of his father’s UWS, and has since increased turnover of the two cash and carries by 109% to £20m.Turnover is likely to grow again this year and Sarwar has earmarked a site for an additional 70,000 sq ft depot.
The new depot will be in direct competition with his uncle’s UWG cash and carry, but when it comes to business, Sarwar will let little stand in his way.
“At the end of the day, the Glasgow market is only so big. If we want to increase our sales, we have to get extra business by taking that from someone else and we don’t care who we step on to get there,” he says.
He revamped the business by switching from Landmark to Nisa-Today’s, reshuffling his management team, converting his non-food depot into an alcohol cash and carry and beginning a hard focus on marketing and pricing.
UWS introduced the Today’s Group’s Day-Today fascia option for members of its retailer club after a series of discussions with members.
Sarwar’s determination to create a high level of customer service, has included offering credit schemes, a Privileged Customers Club and retail development packages.
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