Unitas launched Ignite NPD accelerator and Connected for Growth programmes at its Shaping Tomorrow Together conference in Istanbul this week as part of a major shake-up.
The accelerator initiative, which is being rolled out into a wider pilot scheme, will “make Unitas the launch partner of choice and unlock exclusivities that were previously not possible,” said incoming CEO David Cooke.
Ignite analyses data from participating wholesalers in the 12 weeks after a product launch. It shows where the initiative is working well, where distribution is missing, and where execution needs correcting.
In addition, the group’s new Connected for Growth programme will introduce live face-to-face and virtual Brand Ignition days. These will bring key suppliers together with the Unitas wholesaler membership to align on ‘big bet’ campaigns and NPD and ensure effective execution across the group.
A new series of marketing clinics will give supplier and wholesaler marketing teams the tools to maximise the impact of campaigns.
Other new developments announced at the conference include a complete reboot of the Plan for Profit retailer toolkit, an ambition to double own brand sales to £43m by 2030, and an expansion of the One Week Special promotions that have delivered 50% retailer margin in depots across the membership.
The four-day conference looked beyond current trading conditions to predict the long-term shape and direction of the independent wholesale channel. Futurologists and psychologists identified trends that are expected to irreversibly change economic, social, technological and purchasing behaviour.
Cooke told delegates: “There are things every member should absolutely continue to do independently because that’s what makes them agile and successful, but there are opportunities where none of us can individually match what we are capable of together.
“This is where Unitas needs to focus, using our scale and capability better. Turning our collective knowledge into advantage and executing as one, supported by great people and a culture that gets things done. If we can do that, we don’t have to choose between independence and being part of the largest wholesale alliance. We can all have the power of both.”
