Retailers who sign up to Palmer & Harvey McLane's new Partnership Plus loyalty scheme will get back up to 2.5% of the amount they spend with the wholesaler.

Under the scheme, which does not include tobacco, retailers will be expected to agree to purchase a minimum amount with the wholesaler in return for the cashback, which they will receive by cheque on a quarterly basis.

P&H hopes the initiative will encourage more of its customers to buy all their goods from the wholesaler.

"The large majority of P&H retailers are very loyal to us, but we are painfully aware they have the ability to shop around," said P&H CEO Chris Etherington. "By offering a one-stop shop with competitive pricing, we are showing retailers they do not need to go anywhere else."

P&H has split its 60,000 independent customers into three categories - forecourt, CTN and c-store.

Customers in each category will receive Product & Promotion Order Forms every three weeks tailored to their category. The forms will include detailed information on pricing, promotions and planograms. Stores will also have dedicated account executives to rely on for support as well as a helpline.

Product promotions will focus on popular liness that sell in each type of store and prices will be regularly checked against C&C prices.

"We have been trialling Partnership Plus since August with a cross-section of 30-100 customers," said Etherington. "We had a great response from the trials and a very warm reception from our suppliers. We have been seen as a bit of a sleeping giant so there was genuinely a lot of excitement and comments like 'this is what we have been waiting for'. We are quietly confident we have got this right."

The scheme has been introduced following the wholesaler's long-running strategic review of its offer to independents, which has also resulted in a greater focus on chilled foods.

Topics