It’s been a year like no other. And let’s hope, as the nation tentatively starts to move out of the nightmare that has been the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no more years like it to come.
Just 12 months ago, the biggest issue dominating the wholesale sector was whether businesses should move to a delivered or cash & carry model. That was before it become clear how big an impact this new virus would have on the sector, and life in general.
For wholesale, it has been a tale of the good, the bad and the ugly. On the good side, there have been huge sales increases in grocery. On the bad, a breakdown in communications with suppliers, leading to major availability issues. Then there’s the downright ugly impact of the hospitality shutdown on foodservice specialists – a situation that has only been made worse by a lack of sector-specific support from government. And that has turned upside down the fortunes of wholesalers.