Sports nutrition wholesaler Unnu has started working with independent retailers to sell its 2,000 lines, having already established a presence in different varieties of sport shops and centres.
As part of a plan for the company to become a leading supplier of the category to local shops, Vikas Sharma – former owner of the 17-store convenience group Thrifty’s – joined as Unnu’s managing director in September.
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The strategy has yielded results, with partnerships with two major convenience chains and several smaller ones now signed. Sharma said one of these sites is already hitting £1,000 per month in sales. “I’m confident we can double that,” he said in an interview with our sister website Better Retailing.
The company has already installed its first range in a single-site independent shop – Sandeep Bains’ Welcome Faversham in Kent. Bains’ one-metre bay includes protein powders, sports gels, tablets, shots, nuts, energy gums and a protein bar selection spanning the leading brands.
