What Domestic Appliance Distributors does

Domestic Appliance Distributors (D.A.D) is a UK-based, trade-only B2B distributor of domestic appliances and consumer electronics, founded in 1992 and operated under the legal entity John Gillman & Sons (Electrical) Ltd. The company self-describes as the UK's largest distributor of domestic appliances, distributing products from third-party manufacturers across laundry, dishwashing, refrigeration, cooking, vacuum cleaners, televisions, and small appliances, alongside its own Montpellier brand. Operations are anchored by a 160,000+ square foot warehouse in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, a private fleet ranging from 7.5-ton trucks to 40ft trailers, and a dedicated national contracts team serving house builders and developers.

D.A.D's revenue model is wholesale hardware resale with markup-driven margins on unit shipments, supplemented by delivery fees (£20 for orders under £350, free above) and the company's own-brand product lines. The go-to-market combines an in-house B2B e-commerce portal (dad-online.co.uk) offering 24/7 ordering with real-time stock visibility, a telesales function, regional sales managers conducting field visits, and a national contracts team for house-builder and developer accounts. Pricing is pay-as-you-go for new accounts moving to Net 30 credit terms once facilities are agreed, with all prices quoted ex-VAT and a 15% restocking fee on cancellations.

The customer base spans independent electrical retailers and kitchen specialists (primary segments), national retail multiples, house builders and developers, and online-only retailers. The company has won multiple ERT, IER, and Sirius Buying Group Distributor of the Year awards between 2015 and 2025. In 2025 the company entered administration and divested its Iceking refrigeration brand to Cookology; it continues to trade and distribute, including for the retained Montpellier brand.

Name

Domestic Appliance Distributors

Legal name

John Gillman & Sons (Electrical) Ltd

Website

https://dad-online.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Domestic Appliance Distributors (D.A.D) is a UK trade-only B2B distributor of domestic appliances and consumer electronics, serving independent retailers, kitchen specialists, national multiples, and house builders from a 160,000+ sq ft Tewkesbury warehouse with its own delivery fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Appliance Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Electrical Appliances, Tv & Radio Sets (5064)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

Keywords

• Domestic appliance distribution
• Trade wholesale appliances
• B2B appliance supply
• Kitchen appliance wholesale
• Consumer electronics distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Tewkesbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution of Domestic Appliances: D.A.D operates as the UK's largest domestic appliance distributor, purchasing products in bulk from manufacturers and reselling to trade customers at competitive prices. Revenue is generated through the markup on product sales with volume-based pricing and delivery fee structures.
2. Own Brand Products: D.A.D markets own brands including Montpellier and Iceking (now sold to Cookology after D.A.D administration), generating additional revenue through branded product margins.
3. Logistics and Delivery Services: Free delivery for orders over £350; £20 delivery charge for smaller orders. Own fleet of vehicles from 7.5-ton trucks to 40ft trailers provides revenue stream from delivery services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Domestic Appliance Distributors (D.A.D) is the UK's largest trade-only distributor of domestic appliances, purchasing products in bulk from manufacturers and reselling to retail and trade customers across the UK and Ireland. The company operates a B2B e-commerce platform (dad-online.co.uk) enabling 24/7 trade ordering with real-time stock availability, alongside its own delivery fleet and a portfolio of own brands including Montpellier and Iceking.

Product overview

D.A.D Online operates as a B2B e-commerce platform and trade distribution company for domestic appliances. The core offering is the online ordering portal (D.A.D Online E-Commerce Portal) through which trade customers access D.A.D's portfolio of products. The product portfolio spans major appliance categories including Laundry Appliances, Dishwashers, Refrigeration, Cooking Appliances, Vacuum Cleaners, Television, and Small Appliances. D.A.D distributes products from third-party manufacturers as well as its own brands, notably Montpellier (covering major appliance categories) and Iceking (specializing in refrigeration including fridges, freezers, and chest freezers). Additionally, a While Stock Last (WSL) clearance category offers discounted products. The platform enables 24/7 ordering with real-time stock visibility and account management features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Montpellier: Own brand of domestic appliances including washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers, and refrigerators.
• Iceking

Products and services

• Laundry Appliances

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• The Appliance Recycling GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerD.A.D is partnered with The Appliance Recycling Group, a carbon-neutral company passionate about recycling appliances. Scrap products picked up by D.A.D are delivered in bulk to them and are either repaired for a second life or components are fully broken down into recyclates to go back into making new appliances. This partnership supports D.A.D's sustainability initiatives.
• MCDminorOthersRelated company within group of companies, mentioned in privacy policy as sharing personal information with other companies within the group.
• ViewClickBuyminorOthersRelated company within group of companies, mentioned in privacy policy as sharing personal information with other companies within the group.
• Montpellier Domestic AppliancescoreOthersMontpellier is D.A.D's own brand of domestic appliances. The in-house marketing team provides graphics and product spec support for Montpellier brand. Montpellier products have received multiple awards including Which? Best Buy 2017.
• Gillman'sminorOthersRelated company within group of companies (Gillman's Electrical), mentioned in privacy policy as sharing personal information with other companies within the group.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Currys: Currys is the UK's largest high-street electrical retailer, selling domestic appliances and consumer electronics nationwide with an extensive supply chain. As a national-multiple anchor customer for D.A.D and the dominant direct-to-consumer competitor, it is a key buyer-supplier comparable.
• John Lewis & Partners: John Lewis is a major UK department store retailer with a significant domestic appliance category and partnerships with house builders for new-home appliance packages. It operates comparable appliance-package supply for residential customers and competes indirectly with D.A.D for branded appliance volume.
• Rexel UK: Rexel UK is one of the largest UK distributors of electrical products and professional equipment, with significant trade-only B2B operations. While broader in scope than domestic appliances, its branch network, technical counter model and trade account structure are directly comparable to D.A.D's go-to-market.
• AO.com: AO.com is the UK's largest online-only domestic appliance retailer with significant own-brand sourcing and in-house logistics. It competes with D.A.D's trade customers (and increasingly encroaches on appliance distribution), making it both an adjacent competitor and a potential trade customer depending on segment.

Regional players

• Hughes Electrical: Hughes is a UK family-owned domestic appliance and electronics retailer with a strong regional showroom presence across the South and East of England. It overlaps significantly with D.A.D's independent-retailer customer profile and competes for branded appliance supply.

Direct peers

• Marks Electrical: Marks Electrical is an online-focused UK domestic appliance retailer with growing trade and contract supply operations serving builders and developers. It is comparable to D.A.D across the kitchen-fit, builder-contract, and e-commerce retail verticals, with overlap on real-time online ordering of branded appliances.
• Euronics: Euronics is the largest European buying group/distributor of consumer electronics and domestic appliances, aggregating independent retailers across 30+ countries. It is the closest analog to D.A.D at much larger scale, operating a similar trade-only distribution model with branded appliance supply.
• Expert (Buying Group): Expert is a UK and Ireland electrical and appliance buying group for independent retailers, providing aggregated negotiation and distribution services. It is comparable to D.A.D's independent-retailer vertical in the same UK/Ireland geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dad_onlineuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Domestic Appliance Distributors