Parfetts has grown its symbol estate in the south of England to over 40 stores during its first year of trading from its Southampton depot, as the wholesaler pushes further into London and the south east.
The wholesaler opened its 113,000 sq.ft. ninth depot a year ago, which gave it a base to serve independent retailers across the south coast and Greater London.
The expansion included the opening of the first Go Local Extra store in London itself, marking a significant step in the wholesaler’s move into the capital.
Parfetts has also built its delivered wholesale operation from the depot, with over 500 active customers now across the region.
In addition, its delivery footprint has expanded to around 29 postcode areas, stretching from Dorchester and Bath in the west across to Southend, Kent and East Sussex.
The retail operation is supported by eight retail development advisers and two area managers based at Southampton. Parfetts is also recruiting additional staff as it seeks to expand its symbol presence further in the region.
Cycle ride
The Southampton depot marked its first anniversary with a week of special promotions for retailers. The celebrations also coincided with the completion of a 369-mile charity cycle ride by Parfetts employees
The event saw Simon Hardisty, Chris Hilton and Danny Seal ride from the company’s northern-most depot in Middlesbrough to its southern-most depot, Southampton, over four days, climbing more than 23k ft on the journey.
The ride raised money for the Francis House Children’s Hospice and Naomi House & Jacksplace charities, which support children and young people and their families with life-limiting conditions.
Guy Swindell, Parfetts’ joint MD, said: “Southampton has given us the base we needed to build the business properly across the south. There’s still a lot of opportunity ahead.
“Our aim is to be the partner of choice for retailers, with competitive pricing, reliable deliveries and the freedom to run their stores in the way that works for them and their customers.
“We’ll continue investing in the team at Southampton and expanding our reach as more retailers choose to work with us.”
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