What FOOX Groothandel does

FOOX Groothandel is a Dutch wholesale distributor founded in 1985 and headquartered in Veenendaal, the Netherlands. The company operates as a "totaalleverancier" (total supplier) selling a broad assortment of consumer goods — coffee/tea/cocoa, food, beverages, cleaning supplies, tobacco, office supplies, non-food disposables, and vending machines — to businesses, hospitality (horeca), petrol stations, sports clubs, and tobacco and convenience retailers. It is structured as an inkoop-, marketing- en salesorganisatie with six affiliated regional wholesale branches (Franeker, Oostburg/Zeeland, Waddinxveen, Hoogeveen, Goes, plus headquarters), with affiliated family businesses such as Groothandel de Smet contributing regional density and legacy customer relationships approaching a century in operation.

The company runs a sales-led go-to-market combining field sales representatives (fixed account contacts) with inside sales, an e-commerce platform at fooxonline.nl, a FOOX mobile app, and QR-code inventory scanning for automated reordering. Its own delivery service — same driver continuity — is a core service differentiator. Product depth spans thousands of SKUs across branded suppliers (Douwe Egberts, L'OR, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Senseo) and a private label (Meesterschap). Certifications include SKAL (organic trade), ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental), and Goedhart Keurmerk.

The business model is straightforward wholesale distribution with pricing not publicly disclosed (customer registration required). Revenue is generated via one-time purchase transactions across the assortment. The company has executed a measured M&A roll-up — acquiring Bedrijfs en Kantine Service C. de Rooij in June 2019 and Rovac (cleaning specialist) in February 2020 — while remaining privately held with no disclosed external investors. No proprietary technology or AI capability is disclosed; competitive differentiation rests on distribution density, relationship-based sales, assortment breadth, and integrated ordering/delivery.

Name

FOOX Groothandel

Legal name

FOOX Groothandel

Website

https://foox.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

FOOX Groothandel is a Dutch wholesale distributor (founded 1985, Veenendaal) supplying coffee, food, beverages, cleaning, tobacco, office, and vending products to businesses, hospitality, petrol stations, sports clubs, and convenience retailers across six regional branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Distribution (Foodservice & Convenience Supplies)

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Preparation Equipment & Smallwares Wholesale (AFAIALAK)

Keywords

• Wholesale distribution
• Foodservice supplies
• Convenience retail supply
• Office products wholesale
• Vending machine supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Veenendaal

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution: FOOX generates revenue through the wholesale distribution of a complete assortment including coffee, tea, cocoa, beverages, food, cleaning products, office supplies, tobacco products, non-food items, and vending machines to businesses, petrol stations, sports clubs, hospitality, and convenience retailers across the Netherlands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FOOX Groothandel is a Dutch wholesale distributor (founded 1985, HQ Veenendaal) that supplies a complete assortment of consumer goods — coffee/tea/cocoa, food, beverages, cleaning products, tobacco, office supplies, non-food items, and vending machines — to businesses, petrol stations, sports clubs, hospitality, tobacco and convenience stores across the Netherlands. The company operates as a "totaalleverancier" (total supplier), providing single-source supply with dedicated field sales representatives, own delivery, technical service for coffee/vending machines, and digital ordering via the FOOX webshop (fooxonline.nl) and mobile app with QR-code inventory scanning.

Product overview

FOOX Groothandel operates as a total supplier/wholesale organization for businesses, offering a broad and complete assortment. The product portfolio consists of multiple core product categories (Coffee/Cocoa/Tea, Food, Beverages, Cleaning, Tobacco Products, Office, Non-Food, and Vending Machines/Automaten) that function as distinct product lines. Within the Vending Machines category, the company offers various coffee machines (Cafitesse, bean, Fresh Brew, instant, filter, cup systems) and watercoolers under the Mister Aqua sub-brand. The company supplements its physical product offerings with digital add-ons including the FOXX App for mobile ordering and the FOXX Online Webshop for online purchasing. Key brands carried include Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, L'OR, and many others across food, beverage, and consumable categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Koffie, cacao en thee (Coffee, Cocoa & Tea) Wholesale assortment of coffee, cocoa, and tea products including coffee beans, filter coffee, instant coffee, coffee pads/cups, tea variants, sugar and creamer, coffee filters, and cocoa. Brands include Douwe Egberts, Senseo, L'OR, Nestlé, and the FOOX private-label Meesterschap. Sold to businesses, hospitality, sports clubs, and convenience retailers.
• Food Wholesale food assortment including cookies and pastry, chocolate and confectionery, chips, nuts and savory snacks, frozen foods and ice cream, fresh products (verswaren), and bulk catering supplies (grootverbruik). Sold to business canteens, hospitality, sports canteens, and retail outlets.
• Dranken (Beverages) Complete wholesale beverage assortment including soft drinks, postmix, fruit juices, mineral water, syrup, beer, wines, spirits, mix drinks, seltzers, milk drinks, and energy and sports drinks. Sold to hospitality, sports clubs, convenience stores, and petrol stations.
• Schoonmaak (Cleaning) Wholesale cleaning supplies including waste management, safety equipment and PPE, cleaning machines and accessories, cleaning agents, dishwasher detergents, cleaning articles, work carts and trolleys, and paper and dispensers. Sold to businesses, facility managers, and cleaning-service buyers, with Rovac offering 40 years of professional cleaning expertise.
• Rookwaren (Tobacco Products) Wholesale tobacco products and smokers' supplies, including cigarette machines. Primarily sold to tobacco specialty stores, convenience stores, casinos, and petrol station shops, supported by FOOX's automated ordering system that enables weekly orders to be transmitted in minutes.
• Office (Office Supplies) Wholesale office supplies including stationery, storage and archiving, paper, facility, shipping and safety products, printers and accessories, and office machines. Sold primarily to corporate offices and organizations through FOOX's office-supply subsidiary Best4Office.
• Non-Food Wholesale non-food assortment including disposables, table linens, glassware, stamps and securities (postzegels en waardepapieren), automotive materials, convenience items, and gift cards. Sold to hospitality, businesses, and retail outlets.
• Automaten (Vending Machines) Wholesale vending machines including snack machines, soup machines, watercoolers, refrigerators, freezers, and a full range of coffee machines (Cafitesse, bean, Fresh Brew, instant, filter, cup systems), plus coffee machine accessories and parts. Sold to businesses, hospitality, and sports clubs, with FOOX providing in-house technical service and maintenance.
• Mister Aqua Watercoolers Sub-brand line of water cooling machines and accessories under the Mister Aqua brand, including bottle water coolers, plumbed-in water coolers, CO2 cartridges, and connection sets, for hygienic and sustainable office water supply.

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RovaccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2020Rovac from Goes was acquired by FOOX Groothandel de Smet in February 2020, making them the largest cleaning articles wholesaler in Zeeland. Rovac contributes 40 years of professional cleaning expertise and advisory capabilities for complex cleaning challenges. Both companies continue to operate under their own names, with Rovac gaining access to FOOX's online ordering systems and provincial distribution network.
• CigominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCigo tobacco specialty store organization has established a partnership with FOOX, allowing Cigo member stores to order from FOOX. This partnership enables former FOOX customers who joined Cigo to return to ordering through FOOX.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hanos: Hanos is a major Dutch cash-and-carry and foodservice wholesaler operating large-format branches that supply horeca, catering, sports clubs, and SMBs. Comparable to FOOX in target customer profile and broad assortment, with deeper cash-and-carry retail integration.
• Makro Nederland: Makro is a Dutch cash-and-carry wholesaler serving hospitality, small retailers, and offices with a wide assortment including food, beverages, tobacco, and non-food. Direct overlap with FOOX on customer segments and product breadth, differentiated by large-format self-service pickup model.
• Sligro Food Group: Sligro is the largest Dutch foodservice and convenience wholesale distributor, serving hospitality, petrol stations, and corporate canteens with a broad multi-category assortment. It is the most direct competitor to FOOX in scale and operating model, with similar coverage of food, beverages, tobacco, and non-food categories.
• Bidfood: Bidfood is a Dutch foodservice distributor serving restaurants, hotels, and care institutions with multi-temperature food and beverage distribution. Highly comparable to FOOX's horeca/corporate customer base, with deeper specialization in fresh and frozen categories.

Others

• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is the primary bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola brands across Western Europe, a major beverage supplier to FOOX. Comparable as a key supplier shaping the soft drinks and mix drinks category economics for FOOX's horeca and convenience customers.
• JDE Peet's: JDE Peet's is a key coffee supplier (Douwe Egberts, Senseo, L'OR) carried by FOOX across its assortment. Comparable as a critical upstream supplier whose brand portfolio drives FOOX's coffee category sales and category economics.
• Cigo: Cigo is a Dutch tobacco specialty store franchise organization and buying group, with which FOOX has an active partnership allowing member stores to order through FOOX. Comparable as an ecosystem participant shaping tobacco and convenience retail demand, but operating as a customer/partner rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Metro AG (Netherlands): Metro AG operates the Makro cash-and-carry brand globally including the Netherlands, offering a broad multi-category assortment to HoReCa and traders. Comparable as a parent-level incumbent with overlapping assortment and customer profile, but operating at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Plus Retail: Plus is a Dutch supermarket chain with some B2B and convenience supply operations, including proximity formats serving daily-needs shoppers. Comparable in serving similar end-consumers in convenience/petrol-adjacent channels, but operates through a retail rather than wholesale model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fooxgroothandel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foox-groothandelsorganisatie
• Instagraminstagram.com/fooxgroothandel
• Xx.com/FOOXGroothandel

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 FOOX Groothandel