Incoming Unitas CEO David Cooke has pledged to refocus the group as “the largest wholesale alliance” of wholesalers, suppliers and the central support team.
Speaking at the Unitas Shaping Tomorrow Together conference in Istanbul, Cooke highlighted the scale of the organisation but that it should be used for more than buying power alone. “Our scale creates opportunity, our knowledge tells us where to win and unlocks greater ROI for suppliers, and our members’ commitment to execution turns opportunity into value.”
Cooke told delegates: “There are things every member should absolutely continue to do independently because that’s what makes them agile and successful, but there are opportunities where none of us can individually match what we are capable of together.
“This is where Unitas needs to focus, using our scale and capability better. Turning our collective knowledge into advantage and executing as one, supported by great people and a culture that gets things done.
“If we can do that, we don’t have to choose between independence and being part of the largest wholesale alliance. We can all have the power of both.”
To concentrate on these three ‘big rocks’, he explained how the Unitas central team will step away from activity better handled directly between individual members and suppliers and focus on areas where it can unlock greater value for all.
Key to this partnership is Unitas’ investment in expanding its own capabilities. The group’s new Ignite NPD accelerator, launched at the event and now being rolled out into a wider pilot scheme, will “make Unitas the launch partner of choice and unlock exclusivities that were previously not possible,” he said.
Ignite analyses data from participating wholesalers in the 12 weeks after a product launch. It shows where the initiative is working well, where distribution is missing, and where execution needs correcting.
The new Connected for Growth programme will introduce live face-to-face and virtual Brand Ignition days. These will bring key suppliers together with the Unitas wholesaler membership to align on ‘big bet’ campaigns and NPD and ensure effective execution across the group.
A new series of marketing clinics will give supplier and wholesaler marketing teams the tools to maximise the impact of campaigns.
Other new developments announced at the conference include a complete reboot of the Plan for Profit retailer toolkit, an ambition to double own brand sales to £43m by 2030, and an expansion of the One Week Special promotions that have delivered 50% retailer margin in depots across the membership.
Cooke will take up the CEO role in January, replacing John Kinney who will stay within the senior management team as Unitas Chairman.
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