Co-op Wholesale is seeking to boost food-to-go sales and profits for independent retailers by extending its rebate scheme to direct-to-store (DTS) orders.
The wholesaler and symbol group operator has been working with its partner Greencore on the initiative, in a bid to make the service more competitive.
Under the new model, which takes effect from 5 October, retailers can enjoy the benefits of a DTS service while adding to their potential rebate earnings. Retailers can earn up to a 6% rebate if they spend £16,500 or more a week with Co-op Wholesale.
Perks of Greencore’s DTS service include products with a longer shelf life because of the quicker delivery process, giving retailers more time to sell with less risk of waste.
Retailers also have the flexibility of picking products by single unit, meaning they can order across a wider range and manage stock more efficiently.
Co-op Wholesale added that it had almost doubled the number of SKUs through Greencore DTS to 85 lines, spanning sandwiches, wraps, salads, pasta pots and sushi.
DTS prices for the category are also set to align with equivalent depot supply to simplify the service for retailers.
“We truly listen to what our partners tell us they want and this evolution of our food-to-go proposition is testament to that,” said Co-op Wholesale trading director Robbie Moore.
“They told us their businesses would benefit from larger ranges, longer shelf life and most of all, a streamlined rebate structure, so we’ve developed a solution and invested to support them. We’re looking forward to it going live in October.”
Co-op Wholesale said its new food-to-go proposition had been designed to meet growing demand, with the category forecast to be worth £27bn by 2029, and 71% of consumers saying they prefer quality over simply locating the cheapest option, according to Lumina Intelligence Food-To-Go Market Report 2026.
The move comes as Co-op Wholesale also recently streamlined the rebate model for vapes. From next month, vape sales will also contribute to retailers’ overall weekly order values for rebates, rather than having a separate vape rebate mechanism.
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