Bestway Wholesale has launched a healthy food network to improve access to healthier, affordable and culturally relevant food in independent convenience stores in what is claimed to be a first-of-its-kind national programme.
The Good Food Retail Network is in collaboration with Impact on Urban Health and Rice Marketing and comes at a time when the Government is developing its Ten-Year Health Plan and considering extending HFSS restrictions to the convenience sector. The initiative has already attracted Government interest as a practical model for driving change at store level.
For millions of families across the UK, particularly in lower-income communities, the convenience store is the store that they use and rely on. When healthier choices are missing, communities are left with limited options, often defaulting to less healthy diets. The Good Food Retail Network is tackling this issue by enabling independent retailers to stock and promote healthier ranges that customers trust and can afford.
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The Network launches as a scalable model that already includes more than 220 engaged retailers across Costcutter, best-one, Londis, Nisa, Premier and SPAR, with supplier backing from brands such as Danone, Kind Snacks, KP Snacks, Mars and Nestle and the support of 13 local authorities. Research partners, including the University of Oxford’s Healthy Sustainable Places team, have shown interest in the model.
Kenton Burchell, group trading director, Bestway Wholesale, said: “Bestway Wholesale is proud to be the first national wholesaler to implement this model, developed with Rice Marketing and Impact for Urban Health. Together we’ve proven that healthier products can drive sales through smarter placement and promotion – and this is a blueprint that can be scaled across the industry.
No other wholesaler has the scale and relationships to deliver this at pace – and that is why Bestway is leading the charge. For Bestway, this work is central to our ESG commitments. We recognise our responsibility to support public health, anticipate government policy, and help independent retailers grow sustainably. By leading this collective movement, we can make a real difference to families who need access to affordable, nutritious food the most.”
