Confectionery wholesaler Hancocks has joined the Today’s Group.

The company has been operating independently since it was established in 1962, when Ray and Liz Hancock began wholesaling confectionery from their sweet shop in Shepshed, Leicestershire. Today it has a turnover in excess of £130m, specialising in the wholesale of confectionery to independent retailers and other businesses, with more than 5,000 branded and own label products available in each of its 20 sites across the UK. In addition to the cash and carry business, Hancocks also operates an online wholesale operation and the World of Sweets distribution enterprise.

The Today’s Group claims to be the UK’s largest buying group with a combined purchasing power of £5.7bn, including more than 150 wholesale members, 434 symbol group members and 1,600 retail club members.

Hancocks executive chairman Mark Watson said: “It was a big decision for us to join a buying group after operating independently for 54 years, however, in Today’s Group we feel we have found a perfect partner to work with in the future to help the whole group benefit from the substantial buying power it will now have. The team at Today’s Group are like-minded individuals to my team and we look forward to working much closer with the team and the Group’s existing wholesaler members”.

John Schofield, acting managing director of Today’s Wholesale Services added: “We welcome Hancocks to the Today’s family. Our buying group was founded by like-minded independent entrepreneurial businesses joining together for the benefit of all. In the current market where consolidation is a fact of life, the benefits of being part of a larger group and leveraging the scale whilst still being able to deliver the unique proposition and passion that drives independent businesses is more important than ever”.