What Stax Trade Centres does

Stax Trade Centres is the UK's largest self-described non-food wholesaler, operating a trade-only cash-and-carry and delivered wholesale model from six warehouse branches across England and Scotland (Manchester HQ 100,000 sq ft, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Glasgow 80,000 sq ft dual-purpose facility). Founded in 1981 and subject to a 1986 management buyout by Eddie Brady and David Hibbert, the company stocks 45,000+ products from 1,000+ brands across categories including garden & seasonal, kitchens, electrical, bathrooms & plumbing, homewares, tools, decorating, and building materials, serving more than 50,000 trade customers — principally independent retailers and tradespeople, with secondary segments in garden centres and local authorities.

The core platform combines physical cash-and-carry operations with a nationwide delivered service, where Stax's own fleet covers more than 50% of stock movement and 16 dedicated sales representatives cover the country. Technology stack centres on Till2Till, a proprietary EPOS integration service that pushes product, pricing, and stock-file updates directly into retailer point-of-sale systems at three service tiers, alongside an EKM-partnered online shop builder that pre-loads Stax's 45,000+ SKU catalogue into retailer ecommerce sites with hourly stock updates. Owned and acquired brands include MP Smith/SECURIT (builders' hardware, acquired 2019), Groundsman (household brushes, acquired 2018), and SecurLec (electrical products, launched July 2025).

Revenue is generated primarily through wholesale goods sales on a transaction basis, augmented by a rebate scheme that returned over £1.5m to customers in 2024, a Stax Perx rewards programme (affiliate discounts across 200+ partner brands), and the free Till2Till and EKM integrations used as retention and switching-cost mechanisms rather than direct revenue streams. Pricing is trade-only and not publicly disclosed, gated behind free membership that requires proof of trade status; a Price Match guarantee matches competitor prices up to 7 days post-purchase. Disclosed turnover exceeds £100m with no public listing, no external funding rounds, and no parent company, making Stax a privately held, founder-led, organically financed operator.

Name

Stax Trade Centres

Legal name

Stax Trade Centres Ltd

Website

https://staxtradecentres.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Stax Trade Centres is the UK's largest non-food wholesaler, operating six trade-only cash-and-carry branches and a delivered wholesale service. It stocks 45,000+ products from 1,000+ brands for over 50,000 independent retailers, tradespeople, garden centres, and local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Hardware (5072)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Cash & Carry Wholesalers (No/Low Membership) (CRAEAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Automotive, Tools & Industrial Supplies (B2B) (CRAEAEAH)

Keywords

• Wholesale distribution
• Cash and carry
• Trade supplier
• Non-food wholesaler
• Hardware wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale goods sales: Stax generates revenue through the sale of over 45,000 non-food products including hardware, building materials, plumbing, housewares, gardening, seasonal goods, tools, electrical, kitchens, bathrooms, and decorating supplies to trade customers on a cash and carry or delivered wholesale basis.
2. Rebate scheme: Customer loyalty programme where Stax pays customers a percentage of their annual spend back as vouchers to spend in store, with over £1.5 million paid in rebate through 2024.
3. Stax Perx rewards programme: Rewards programme offering discounts on groceries, tech, business essentials, and leisure activities from partner brands, subsidised by Stax to incentivise customer loyalty.
4. Online shop partnership (EKM): Partnership with EKM allowing retailers to create online shops pre-loaded with Stax products. Stax acts as the product source while EKM provides the e-commerce platform, with no revenue share taken by Stax.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Stax Trade Centres is the UK's largest non-food cash and carry wholesaler and trade supplier, operating five warehouse branches (Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh) plus a dual-purpose distribution/cash and carry facility in Glasgow. The company offers over 45,000 products from 1,000+ brands spanning hardware, building materials, plumbing, electrical, kitchens, bathrooms, gardening, tools, decorating, and homewares to independent retailers, tradespeople, garden centres, and local authorities through cash and carry and delivered wholesale channels.

Product overview

Stax Trade Centres is the UK's largest non-food cash and carry wholesaler and trade supplier operating from five strategically located UK warehouse branches (Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Glasgow). The core offering consists of physical cash & carry wholesale and delivered wholesale services, offering over 45,000 products and 1,000+ brands spanning garden & seasonal, kitchens, electrical, bathrooms & plumbing, homewares, tools, decorating, and building categories. The digital service portfolio includes Till2Till (EPOS integration service), Stax Online Shop (EKM-powered ecommerce builder), Stax Perx (customer rewards programme), Rebate Scheme, Kitchen Planner, and Price Match guarantee. Own and acquired brands include SecurLec (electrical products), MP Smith/SecURIT (hardware), and Groundsman (household cleaning tools). The company serves over 50,000 trade customers including independent retailers, garden centres, tradespeople, and local authorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MP Smith: Hardware and ironmongery brand supplying wholesalers and pre-packers with builders' and architectural hardware products. Originally established as SECURIT brand in the mid-1970s.
• SECURIT
• Groundsman
• Dompak Grosvenor
• Stax Perx

Products and services

• Cash & Carry Wholesale Physical wholesale service operating from strategically located UK warehouse branches (Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow) where trade members can purchase over 45,000 stocked items from 1,000+ brands in person.
• Delivered Wholesale Service Nationwide delivery service for trade customers with Stax's own fleet covering more than 50% of stock, supported by 16 dedicated sales representatives covering the UK.
• Till2Till EPOS Integration Free service facilitating transmission of product and price information from Stax directly to retailers' EPOS systems, including price changes, new products, discontinued lines, stock file integration, invoice download, and label printing. Offered in three service levels with full Level 3 EPOS integration requiring compatible systems.
• Stax Online Shop (EKM-powered) Ecommerce website builder partnered with EKM enabling Stax members to create online shops pre-loaded with over 45,000 Stax products with hourly stock updates. Features unlimited products, domain registration, secure servers, payment processing, and mobile-optimised themes.
• Stax Perx Rewards Programme Customer rewards programme offering discounts on groceries, tech, business essentials, motoring, dining, and activities from over 200 partner brands, with members able to save up to £1,800 annually. Used regularly by 7,000+ customers.
• Rebate Scheme Annual rebate programme rewarding trade customers with vouchers based on a percentage of their annual spend back to spend in store, with over £1.5 million paid in rebates through 2024.
• Kitchen Planner Service Free professional kitchen planning service available across Stax branches to help trade customers design and plan kitchen purchases for their retail showrooms.
• Price Match Guarantee Competitive pricing guarantee matching competitor prices on shelf prices within a 10-mile radius, even up to 7 days after purchase, requiring evidence in the form of printed invoice or brochure.
• SecurLec Electrical Products Own-brand electrical products range launched in 2025 to fill gaps in the UK electrical supply chain following recent market changes, offering retailers and installers a reliable alternative source.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £1.5 million paid in rebate to customers through 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GIMA (Garden Industry Manufacturers' Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2026Stax Trade Centres is represented at the GIMA 2026 Day Conference focused on the Future of Garden Supply Chains. Stax representatives will speak alongside other industry figures including Mark Farnsworth of Yorkshire Garden Centres and retail analyst Steve Collinge.
• MP Smith and Co. LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Acquired in 2019, MP Smith has been established for over 40 years and specialises in supplying hardware and DIY wholesalers and pre-packers with builders' and architectural hardware products. Originally established under the brand name SECURIT.
• GroundsmanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Acquired in 2018, Groundsman is a premium line of household brooms, brushes, and dustpans, expanding Stax's own brand portfolio.
• PDS LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Stax acquired PDS Logistics in 2017 to secure vertical integration of the supply chain. PDS Logistics provides distribution service to Stax warehouses and a small number of other businesses. Stax had been a major customer of PDS's logistics operation prior to acquisition.
• DF WishartminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Stax acquired Scottish delivered wholesaler DF Wishart in 2011 to expand services throughout Scotland. The business was integrated into the Glasgow branch established in 2015.
• Dompak Grosvenor (formerly Domcraft)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1997After Domcraft went into receivership in 1997, Stax stepped in and launched Dompak Grosvenor as its dedicated delivery service arm, rescuing the company and establishing the delivered business.
• W.E. MerrisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1995Stax acquired its close competitor W.E. Merris in the West Midlands in 1995. Following the acquisition, brothers Simon and Nigel Wright joined the Stax board as Purchasing Director and Operations Director respectively.
• EKMcoreTechnology or IntegrationStax has teamed up with EKM to help Stax retailer members create successful online shops. The partnership enables retailers to pre-load their online stores with over 45,000 Stax products with hourly stock updates. EKM provides the e-commerce platform with features including unlimited products, domain name, secure servers, payment processing, and UK-based account management.
• RBAcoreTechnology or IntegrationRBA provides EPOS systems compatible with Stax's Till2Till integration service. RBA offers special negotiated rates for Stax customers with fully integrated software systems available from £40 per month. Level 3 Till2Till requires an RBA or compatible EPOS system.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Booker Group: Booker is the UK's largest cash and carry wholesaler, operating a B2B membership-based model very similar to Stax. While its product mix skews more toward food and tobacco, it directly competes for trade customers and overlapping categories like groceries, household, and non-food essentials.
• Bestway Wholesale: Bestway operates one of the UK's largest cash and carry networks under the 'Best-one' and wholesale banners, with broad B2B trade supply across food, beverages, and non-food categories. It mirrors Stax's trade-only, multi-branch distribution model and competes for similar independent retailers and caterers.
• Screwfix: Screwfix is a UK trade-only retailer of tools, hardware, plumbing, electrical, and workwear with a dense branch and click-and-collect network. It directly targets the same tradespeople segment (painters, decorators, electricians, plumbers, joiners) that Stax serves, competing for the same professional trade spend.
• Toolstation: Toolstation, owned by Travis Perkins, is a UK trade supplier of tools, hardware, and building products targeting tradespeople and DIY customers via branches and online ordering. Its trade-only, multi-category supply model directly overlaps with Stax's hardware, plumbing, and electrical offering.

Broad incumbents

• Costco Wholesale UK: Costco operates membership warehouse clubs in the UK, offering trade and consumer members bulk pricing across a broad assortment including hardware, garden, and homewares. While substantially larger and global, its business model and trade-member proposition overlap directly with Stax's.
• METRO UK (Makro): Makro/METRO is a global cash and carry operator with UK trade-only wholesale clubs serving hospitality, retail, and trades customers. It competes with Stax for trade accounts across non-food categories such as kitchen, housewares, and seasonal goods.
• Travis Perkins: Travis Perkins is the UK's largest builders' merchant, serving tradespeople and contractors with building materials, tools, and hardware across hundreds of branches. While its model is merchant-based rather than cash & carry, it competes with Stax for trade customer spend on building, plumbing, and hardware categories.
• Jewson: Jewson is a major UK builders' merchant (Saint-Gobain) supplying timber, building materials, tools, and kitchens to tradespeople. It overlaps with Stax's building, kitchen, and tool categories, particularly with the tradesperson customer segment.
• B&M Retail: B&M is a UK discount variety retailer stocking gardening, DIY, hardware, kitchen, and homeware categories at value prices. While it operates a consumer-facing retail model rather than trade-only wholesale, it competes for end-consumer spend that ultimately flows back through trade customers such as Stax's garden centre members.

Regional players

• AF Blakemore & Son (Wholesale): AF Blakemore operates wholesale and cash & carry distribution across the UK, primarily serving SPAR-affiliated retailers and foodservice customers. While predominantly food-focused, its B2B wholesale infrastructure and regional trade accounts compete for some of Stax's independent retailer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/staxtradecentrs
• Facebookfacebook.com/StaxLeeds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stax-trade-centres-plc
• Instagraminstagram.com/staxtradecentres_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Stax Trade Centres