CLF Distribution

What CLF Distribution does

CLF Distribution Ltd is a Southampton-headquartered wholesaler of sports nutrition, organic, and health food products serving independent UK retailers, founded in 1998. The company operates a pick-and-pack wholesale model from a 40,000+ square foot purpose-built warehouse in Nursling, distributing approximately 16,000 SKUs across more than 1,000 brands alongside seven owned exclusive brands (Balanced, Just Natural Organic, Organic Kitchen, Prima Italia, Soakin, Kurin, Clara). It is a licensed MHRA Medicinal Product Wholesaler and employs a barcode-driven EPoS and replenishment IT system with webcam scanning for stock accuracy.

The company generates revenue through transaction-based wholesale sales to trade account holders, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Primary customer segments are independent bricks-and-mortar health food retailers, with secondary exposure to pharmacies, gyms, and specialist sports nutrition outlets. Distribution combines an own-fleet van delivery service within a 70-mile radius of Southampton with external courier partnerships (FedEx and DPD) for national and international coverage, supported by a proprietary CLFshop.com ordering platform, Emporio EPOS integration for retailer stock management, and the supplier-facing CLFconnect.com portal.

In 2022, the company was sold to its employees via an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT), placing it alongside other well-known EOTs such as John Lewis Partnership and KPMG. The transition was followed by Logan Holiday assuming the Managing Director role in January 2024. With annual turnover of £58 million for the FY2024 reporting period, CLF has positioned itself as a specialist wholesaler with sustainability credentials including 180kW solar PV, voltage optimisation, electric vehicles, and reusable tote box systems.

Name

CLF Distribution

Legal name

CLF Distribution Ltd

Website

https://clfdistribution.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CLF Distribution is a UK-based wholesaler of sports nutrition, organic, and health food products serving independent retailers from a 40,000+ sq ft Southampton warehouse, distributing 16,000+ SKUs across 1,000+ brands and seven owned exclusive labels under 100% employee ownership since 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Health Food Distribution

NAICS

Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Nutrition, Hydration & Recovery Products Distribution (CRAOAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Shelf-Stable Packaged Foods Wholesale (Canned, Dry, Snacks) (AFAIABAB)

Keywords

• Wholesale health food
• Organic product distribution
• Sports nutrition wholesale
• Specialty food distributor
• Independent retailer supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Product Sales: CLF generates revenue by selling health food, organic products, vitamins, supplements, personal care, household products, chilled and frozen goods, and specialty alcohol to independent retailers on a wholesale basis. Transaction-based model where retailers purchase products at wholesale prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CLF Distribution is a UK wholesale distributor supplying independent health food retailers, pharmacies, and sports nutrition outlets with approximately 11,000-16,000 products across 1,000+ brands. The product portfolio spans sports nutrition, vitamins, minerals and supplements, health food and drinks, personal care, household products, chilled and frozen goods, and organic alcohol. The company operates from a 40,000+ sq ft Southampton warehouse, delivering daily via own van routes and courier partnerships, supported by its CLFshop.com B2B ordering platform and seven exclusive owned brands.

Product overview

CLF Distribution is a wholesale distributor offering a comprehensive product portfolio across multiple categories: Sports Nutrition, Vitamins Minerals & Supplements, Health Food & Drinks, Personal Care, Household Products, Chilled & Frozen, and Organic Alcohol. The core offering is the CLFshop.com online ordering platform supplemented by exclusive owned brands (Balanced, Just Natural Organic, Organic Kitchen, Prima Italia, Soakin, Kurin, Clara), Emporio EPOS integration for stock management, the Tote Box reusable delivery system, monthly Trade Catalogue, and warehousing & logistics services from their 40,000+ sq ft Southampton facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Balanced: Exclusive brand for health and wellness products
• Just Natural
• Organic Kitchen
• Prima Italia
• Soakin
• Kurin
• Clara

Quantifiable outcome

• Orders placed by 10am typically dispatched same day
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EmporiocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2006Emporio is the exclusive distributor and No. 1 reseller for Retail Management Hero EPOS software in the UK. Founded in 2006, they provide affordable, flexible EPOS solutions for small and medium-sized retailers. CLF has a strategic partnership with Emporio, extending ordering cutoff times to 3:30pm for customers using Emporio's EPOS system or CLF Shop.
• Retail Management HerocoreTechnology or IntegrationEPOS software provider that Emporio is partnered with and exclusively distributes in the UK. Provides complete retail management solutions from requirements gathering through to end-user training and ongoing support.
• FedExminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal courier partnership providing complete coverage of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Europe, and Rest of World. Orders have 10am cutoff for next day delivery.
• DPDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal courier partnership for national coverage of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• CLFshop.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ordering platform for trade account holders. Integrated with Emporio EPOS for extended ordering cutoff times.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tree of Life: UK-based health food and sports nutrition wholesaler serving independent retailers with a multi-brand portfolio; directly comparable to CLF in product categories, customer base (independent health stores) and B2B distribution model.
• Suma Wholefoods: UK wholefood cooperative wholesaler distributing organic, vegetarian, health and natural products to independent retailers and caterers; overlaps directly with CLF on health food, organic and supplement categories and SMB retail customer base.
• Infinity Foods Wholesale: UK wholesaler of natural, organic, vegetarian and health foods serving independent retailers; comparable breadth of SKUs and customer type to CLF, with similar focus on sports nutrition and supplements.
• Nature's Own Health Food Products: UK distributor of health foods, sports nutrition and natural products to independent retailers; overlapping product categories and independent health store customer base make it a close peer to CLF.

Emerging players

• Myprotein: Large UK-headquartered sports nutrition brand with global DTC and retail distribution; significant overlap with CLF's sports nutrition category and an alternative route to retailers that bypasses traditional wholesale.
• Bulk Powders: UK sports nutrition brand selling protein, supplements and performance products direct to consumers online; overlaps with CLF's sports nutrition assortment and increasingly competes for end-consumer demand that flows through CLF's retail customers.

Broad incumbents

• Booker Group: One of the UK's largest wholesalers serving convenience retailers, caterers and small businesses with broad grocery and consumables ranges; overlaps with CLF on grocery, sports nutrition and household categories but at much greater scale and broader assortment.
• Holland & Barrett: UK health and wellness retailer with extensive own-brand range in vitamins, supplements and sports nutrition; not a direct wholesaler but operates as both customer and adjacent channel player to CLF's independent retail customer base.
• Bestway Wholesale: Major UK grocery and wholesale distributor serving independent retailers with food, beverage and household ranges; competes with CLF on health food and sports nutrition SKUs but as part of a much larger general-line offering.
• Musgrave Group: Irish-headquartered wholesale and food retail group operating across the UK and Europe; competes broadly with CLF in grocery and health/wholesale distribution but at substantially larger scale and across multiple banners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLFDistribution
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLFdistribution
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clf-distribution-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CLF Distribution