darren goldney unitas MD

Unitas MD Darren Goldney hoped the group would result in ‘more effective joint planning’

Unitas Wholesale has set up a focus group to engage more effectively with suppliers.

The group will consist of representatives from 14 suppliers who will meet quarterly as part of the buying group’s plan to establish itself as a “first choice business partner”.

Its objective will be to provide feedback on initiatives, help shape and generate ideas and ensure communication with suppliers remains clear.

Called the Supplier Council, the group will represent more than 300 retail, foodservice and on-trade suppliers from across all the major product categories.

“To be serious about our cultural journey from buying group to selling group, it is important that Unitas Wholesale is the first choice for the category sales experts themselves: our suppliers,” said Darren Goldney, Unitas Wholesale managing director. “Suppliers are also our customers and they have a choice of which route to market to take. If we listen and actively engage with them, that route to market will be us, which is excellent news for our membership.”

“By working together, we can gain a better understanding of each other’s businesses which will result in more effective joint planning with stronger outcomes,” continued Goldney. “We have recently introduced a service trending and tracking initiative which is an excellent example of innovation which will directly benefit both suppliers and the Group.”