DCS Group has taken over from Booker in supplying M&S Food with branded household, toiletries and health & beauty lines.
The agreement sees DCS Group replace Booker in distributing over 90 SKUs to M&S, ranging from Pampers to Colgate and Calpol, and making up most of M&S Food’s branded non-food offering.
M&S parted ways with Booker in September, when the retailer announced that Blakemore had taken over as its primary wholesale partner for branded chilled and ambient food. The move ended a supply deal that had been in place between M&S and Booker for more than 15 years.
News of DCS securing the non-food supply deal came in an announcement from the fmcg distributor today.
DCS – the UK’s leading distributor of household, health, beauty and personal care products – had already been working with M&S in trials of new branded lines since October last year.
“Leveraging its extensive category expertise and long-standing relationships with leading fmcg brands such as P&G, Unilever and Colgate, DCS Group is well positioned to enhance M&S’s branded offer and deliver increased value and availability to customers,” a DCS spokesperson said.
DCS CEO Michael Lorimer said: “We are delighted to be partnering with M&S, a business that shares our focus on quality, innovation and outstanding customer service.
“Our strength lies in our category knowledge, deep brand partnerships and supply chain expertise. By combining these with M&S’s customer-first approach, we look forward to creating real value for M&S shoppers while ensuring seamless, reliable distribution. This is a major milestone as we continue our growth trajectory.”
M&S’s decision to end its deal with Booker is thought to have been influenced by Blakemore’s ability to deliver to the retailer’s regional distribution network seven days a week compared with five.
New DCS food division
DCS also today announced the launch of a new food division, backed by an £8m investment in expanding its Banbury headquarters.
Ninety new jobs are set to be created over the next three years, bringing the company’s headcount to 550, as it adds 50,000 sq ft of new office space to the 300,000 sq ft Banbury facility.
The new food division has secured strategic partnerships with General Mills and Unilever Foods, transitioning key contracts previously managed by SHS Group. The division already represents £20m in annualised sales, according to DCS.
DCS said it planned to grow the food division to £40m within 18 months and to £500m within five years.
“This is a defining moment for DCS,” said Lorimer. “The launch of our food division with world-class partners like General Mills and Unilever, alongside our continued investment in Banbury, demonstrates our commitment to building a truly diversified and innovative business.”
General Mills UK & Ireland sales director Rob Owen said: “We are delighted to be part of the DCS Group story as they launch their food division – a milestone that reflects ambition, innovation, and shared commitment to growth.
“We are excited about our new partnership and confident that together we will reach even more customers with the quality and care that define our products.”
DCS is aiming to grow group revenue to £1bn by 2035, up from £350m in its latest financial year.
“We’re on an exciting path towards £1bn in revenues, and our investment in people, technology and infrastructure will ensure we achieve it,” said Lorimer.
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