What Today's Group does

Today's Group, operating commercially as Unitas Wholesale Ltd, is a UK-based member-owned wholesale buying group headquartered in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Founded in 1987, it functions as the central support organisation for a network of 126 independent wholesale members operating 285 cash & carry and delivered-service depots across the United Kingdom, reaching approximately 177,000 retail and out-of-home customers. The group aggregates independent wholesalers to negotiate collective trading terms with suppliers and deliver nationwide coverage across retail, foodservice, on-trade, specialist, and export sectors.

The company's product portfolio spans four layers: core wholesale membership services (Symbol Group & Retail Club, Out of Home, Own Brand products, Unitas Procurement Services for non-resale procurement); retailer and supplier enablement tools (Plan for Profit retailer toolkit, Retailer Magazine, Bar & Kitchen foodservice magazine, 360-degree Retail Store Tour); digital platforms (TOPS/Trading Optimisation Processing System, TERMS supplier portal, The Hub member resource centre, Unitas Data Service, Brand Box, Wholesaler Search, POS Generator); and training programmes (Unitas AI Academy, Digital Excellence Academy). The underlying technology is a portfolio of web-based digital platforms hosted on Microsoft Azure supporting member, retailer, and supplier workflows, with no disclosed proprietary AI models or patents.

The business model combines subscription-style membership fees from wholesale members with transaction-based revenue from negotiated supplier trading terms. Go-to-market is channel-partner driven, with suppliers reaching retailers through the wholesale member network rather than direct sales. The central organisation is lean (8 employees), reflecting a cooperative support-centre structure rather than an operating retailer. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated individually with members and suppliers.

Name

Today's Group

Legal name

Unitas Wholesale Ltd

Website

https://todays.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Member-owned UK wholesale buying group (Unitas Wholesale) connecting 126 wholesale members operating 285 depots to serve 177,000 retailers and foodservice customers with procurement, training, and digital platform services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Buying Group Services

NAICS

General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers (424410), Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244), Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Membership Wholesale Clubs (B2B & B2B2C) (CRAEAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Membership Warehouse Clubs (General Merchandise + Grocery) (CRAHACAA), Retailer & Small-Store Supply (C-Store, Mini-Mart, Independent Retail) (CRAEAEAD), Bulk Food Buying Clubs & Cooperative Bulk Programs (CRAHAMAM)

Keywords

• Wholesale buying group
• Cash and carry wholesale
• Symbol group retail
• Foodservice distribution
• Supplier trading terms

Headquarters

HQ city

Doncaster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Unitas is owned by its wholesale members, suggesting membership fees as a revenue source for the central organization
2. Supplier partnerships and trading terms: Revenue generated through negotiated trading terms with suppliers provided to wholesale members

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Today's Group, operating as Unitas Wholesale, runs the UK's largest independent member-owned wholesale buying group, aggregating 126 wholesale members operating 285 depots to collectively serve approximately 177,000 retail, foodservice, on-trade, specialist, and export customers. The central organization negotiates trading terms with suppliers on behalf of members, offers a symbol group/retail club for independent retailers, runs procurement services, publishes the Bar & Kitchen foodservice magazine, and provides training academies (AI Academy, Digital Excellence Academy) along with supplier portals and data services.

Product overview

Unitas Wholesale is the UK's largest independent wholesale buying group, operating as a membership-owned organization that connects 126 wholesale members operating 285 depots to serve approximately 177,000 customers. The company offers a unified platform combining a symbol group/retail club operation with multiple supporting tools and services. The core product portfolio includes the Symbol Group & Retail Club (providing promotional access and retail toolkit), Plan for Profit (retailer guidance platform), Unitas Procurement Services, Own Brand products, Bar & Kitchen (foodservice advice), and training programs (AI Academy, Digital Excellence Academy). Supporting platforms include TOPS (supplier tools including Point of Sale Generator), TERMS (supplier portal), The Hub (member resources), Unitas Data Service, and Brand Box. The wholesaler network also provides nationwide cash & carry and delivered services covering retail, foodservice, on-trade, specialist, and export sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plan for Profit: A one-stop shop for independent retailers with essential guidance and tools to grow sales.
• Bar & Kitchen
• Unitas AI Academy
• Digital Excellence Academy

Products and services

• Symbol Group & Retail Club An award-winning symbol group and retail club operation that gives independent retailers access to the strongest promotions and a business-boosting toolkit, allowing them to promote leading brands at competitive prices.
• Plan for Profit A one-stop shop for independent retailers providing essential guidance and tools to grow sales, including newsletters and business resources.
• Unitas Procurement Services An impartial procurement service offering members outsourced solutions for all non-resal purchases to reduce operating expenses.
• Own Brand High-quality products at low prices available exclusively through wholesale member depots.
• Bar & Kitchen Magazine Expert business advice for out of home outlets including pubs, restaurants, and catering, available online and as a published magazine.
• Unitas AI Academy A training and education platform providing members and suppliers with skills and confidence to embrace AI and futureproof their businesses.
• Digital Excellence Academy A training program for wholesalers focusing on digital skills and excellence in wholesale operations.
• TERMS Supplier Portal An online supplier portal and trading platform for supplier partnerships and trading relationship management with Unitas.
• Unitas Data Service A data service platform providing suppliers with analytics and data insights across the wholesale and retail network.
• Brand Box A supplier tool providing brand marketing and promotional resources for visibility across the wholesale network.
• Wholesaler Search An online search tool allowing customers to find and locate wholesale members across the nationwide network, covering retail, foodservice, on-trade, specialist and export sectors.
• Out of Home / Foodservice Services Specialized services and support for out of home and foodservice outlets within the wholesale network, including pubs, restaurants, and catering businesses.
• Retailer Magazine A published magazine providing retail insights, guidance, and industry information for independent retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 126 wholesale members in network
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Grocery AidminorOthersCharitable organization providing support for grocery industry workers. Unitas is a proud sponsor of Grocery Aid.
• Bluebell Wood Children's HospiceminorOthersChildren's hospice providing care and support. Unitas is a proud sponsor of Bluebell Wood.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Booker Group (Tesco Wholesale): UK's largest foodservice and grocery wholesaler (now Tesco-owned), operating a nationwide delivered and cash & carry network serving independent retailers, pubs, restaurants, and caterers — directly comparable to Unitas's wholesale member network by channel and customer base.
• Landmark Wholesale: UK cash & carry symbol buying group with a network of independent wholesale members. Direct competitor offering similar trading-term aggregation, member services, and symbol-group support to Unitas.
• AF Blakemore (SPAR / Lifestyle Express): Large UK family-owned wholesaler operating SPAR and Lifestyle Express symbol groups plus delivered wholesale; comparable by virtue of mixed membership/symbol model and its national wholesaling footprint.
• Sugro UK: UK voluntary buying group for independent wholesale and retail convenience operators, providing aggregated buying, marketing, and member services — operating a comparable cooperative/buying-group model to Unitas.
• Bestway Wholesale: The UK's largest independent family-owned wholesale group, operating cash & carry depots and delivered services to independent retailers and caterers. Closely comparable in scale, channel, customer base, and strategic positioning to Unitas.
• Parfetts (Metro-owned): UK cash & carry and delivered wholesaler (now majority owned by METRO AG), serving independent retailers, convenience stores, and foodservice customers through a depot network — directly comparable to Unitas's wholesale member network.
• Spar UK (AF Blakemore / James Hall): UK symbol-group wholesaler network operated by regional wholesalers supplying independent convenience retailers under a shared brand. Comparable symbol/buying-group model with a multi-region wholesale structure like Unitas.
• Nisa (Co-op / One Stop): UK symbol buying group and wholesale supply chain (now under Co-op/One Stop), serving independent retailers and convenience operators — a comparable symbol/retail-club model to Unitas Retail Club.
• JW Filshill: Scotland-headquartered UK wholesale and symbol-group operator serving independent retailers via delivered and cash & carry models. Comparable channel mix and customer base to Unitas members.

Broad incumbents

• Costco Wholesale UK: Global membership-based cash & carry operator with UK depots serving both B2B trade members and individual consumers. Comparable as a membership-driven wholesale club format and a competitive threat to Unitas's trade-customer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UnitasWsale
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnitasWsale
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/today's-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Today's Group