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Grocery Wholesaling in the UK Industry Data and Analysis
The Grocery Wholesaling industry has rebounded following the impact of the pandemic, with revenue expected to swell at a compound annual rate of 5.4% to £49.3 billion over the five years through 2025-26. A surging interest in new and exciting grocery products, including innovative variants of savoury snacks and low-sugar condiments, is supporting industry revenue by opening up new sales channels. Additionally, wholesalers are benefitting from the growth in on-the-go lifestyles among consumers, as it has led to a significant expansion in their order volumes from convenience stores. The heightened interest in top-up shopping is also leading to an uptick in the number of convenience stores being built, which is benefitting the industry. The renewed activity of catering in the past year, as economic headwinds have begun to subside, has provided grocery wholesalers with a notable income boost. Expanding activity in the catering and convenience store markets, coupled with gradually improving consumer confidence, is expected to lead to a climb in revenue of 0.8% in 2025-26.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released January 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code G46.390. Businesses in the Grocery Wholesaling industry wholesale a range of food products, including prepared meals, bread, dips and condiments, food spreads, savoury snacks, sandwich fillings, tinned goods and processed grain and cereal. Related terms covered in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include specialised wholesaler, cash-and-carry and cash on delivery.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include Prepared meals, Bread and Dips and condiments.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include Booker Group Ltd, Costco Wholesale UK Ltd and Bestway Wholesale Ltd.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
The market size of the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is £49.3bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?
There are 3,862 businesses in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 2.0 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 5.4 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom are Booker Group Ltd, Costco Wholesale UK Ltd and Bestway Wholesale Ltd
What does the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom include?
Prepared meals and Bread are part of the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom is Booker Group Ltd.
How competitive is the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Grocery Wholesaling industry in the United Kingdom.
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