United Wholesale Scotland has relaunched its depot in Maxwell Road, Glasgow following a £2.5m investment.
The depot, which was officially reopened last Thursday (31 July) by two-time former boxing world champion Amir Khan, has doubled in size to 41,000 sq ft.
Some 12,000 sq ft of the new floorspace has been dedicated to beer, wines and spirits, which have been reintroduced to the depot following a seven-year absence. The number of checkouts has also increased to 13.
Director Athif Sarwar said the new-look depot would be a ‘one-stop shop’ for customers.
“Expanding our product offering is in line with our strategy of meeting customer demand. We had alcohol at the West Street depot back in 2003 and it really set us apart from our competitors in the market at that time,” he said.
“Things have changed a lot in retail over the last 10 years, but we’re confident that re-introducing licensed products will work well for us and add to the already very full and extensive range we have brought together for our customers.”
The wholesaler has also acquired a 68,000 sq ft site in Newbridge, Edinburgh.
“The transformation of Maxwell Road and the acquisition of Terston House demonstrates our ambitious growth strategy and our objective of increasing our reach and site footprint across the country,” added MD Asim Sarwar.
“We will continue to be aggressive on price, ensuring our customers are competitive with supermarkets and retail groups. This customer engagement strategy, coupled by our continued investment, will ensure we maintain our growth objectives as well as setting ourselves apart in a competitive marketplace.”
The relaunch of UWS’ Maxwell Road depot was held on the same day as the official reopening of Bestway’s new 110,000 sq ft depot just half a mile away.
Last month UWS, which is number 19 on The Grocer’s ranking of the UK’s Big 30 wholesalers, posted a 4.8% increase in sales to £212m for the year to 31 December 2013. Pre-tax profits rose 1% to £2.08m during the year.
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