The Federation of Wholesale Distributors has welcomed the Office of Fair Trading's announcement that it is minded to refer the grocery market for a full review by the Competition Commission.

Booker has rejoined the Federation of Wholesale Distributors nearly two years after its membership was cancelled by its then boss Bill Grimsey. In addition its chief executive Charles Wilson has accepted a seat on the FWD Council.

Wholesale IT company STL Solutions has taken over the wholesale division of Anker Systems.

A new purpose-built Bestway depot in Leicester has been opened by local MP Keith Vaz.

A new initiative to stamp out fraud in the drinks industry has been launched by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Independent non-multiple retailers are to be invited to join the group driving the My Shop Is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign.

The Association of Convenience Stores is setting up a Community Shops Campaign Trust to assist it in the campaign for a fairer grocery market. It is calling on all neighbourhood retailers to support the fund with a suggested £5 per member of staff contribution.

Wholesalers are to be urged to step up their message to independent retailers that the more they become involved in their community, the more sales they will ring up.

Parfetts Cash & Carry will be introducing a range of Fair Trade products across its depots in the next few weeks.

Blueheath has warned that revenue and profits for its financial year ending March 4 2006 will be below the expected level.

Bestway has launched a six-week promotion guaranteeing at least a 50% fully funded margin on 50 of its most popular own label Best-in products including yoghurts, juices, tomato ketchup, biscuits and coffee.

The Nestlé Rowntree Manager of the Month for March has been awarded to Paddy O'Connor, operations manager of Dee Bees.

Bestway Cash & Carry group has undertaken a complete rethink in its approach to selling wines, and has established a new own label brand - Cellar Estates.

Three more major suppliers supporting the wholesale/independent sector have joined the FWD PR Action Group (PRAG).

Ten of the biggest brands in the marketplace - three more than last year - are supporting the second national tabloid generic money-off coupon promotion for National Independents' Day (NID) on June lst.

Spring is in the air heralding our FWD annual conference, which takes place on April 3/4 at The Belfry. We are fortunate to have such an impressive line up of industry leaders and gurus to give delegates the benefit of their thinking on the prospects for the wholesale industry (see programme pages 40-41).

Independent retailers will receive free upgraded tool kits to help them maximise National Independents' Day (NID) on June lst.

Early reports from in-store trials in which spirits are located on open shelves near the till suggest that this FWD Blueprint For Spirits initiative will bring trading benefits.

? Job title: head of buying - impulse

Andrea Hargrave has been appointed to the newly created role of wine adviser at Bestway.

Carlsberg UK has appointed Darran Britton as its new marketing director. Formerly brands director for ales and lagers, Britton (34) has been with Carlsberg since 1993 when he joined as a graduate trainee. Britton sits on the board of Carlsberg UK and is responsible for managing the combined brands and trade marketing team.

Chhotalal Makanji has commenced a management consultancy and accountancy practice with special emphasis on providing advisory services to the wholesale distribution and cash and carry industry.

Online delivered wholesaler Blueheath has appointed Paul Little to the position of new business manager.

== march ==

CJ Lang & Son has been crowned the best wholesale business in Scotland after claiming four awards, including Best Retail Wholesaler (Delivered) and the Champion of Champions accolade, in Scottish Wholesale Achievers 2006. The Spar wholesaler also won Best Retail Development Programme and Best Training Programme.

Students from Adam Smith College in Scotland triumphed at Hotelympia taking first place in the National Final of Brakes Student Team Chef Challenge - beating nine other teams from around the UK.

A cross-promotion between the grocery and auto retail sectors in Northern Ireland was recently concluded with the presentation of a substantial prize to a customer of Holmes Wholesale Services at the showrooms of Volkswagen dealer Isaac Agnew (Belfast).

SHAME. Is "the media" being fair to Bill Grimsey, who impressed some trade journos as the Booker champion of independents while simultaneously turning the now extinct Big Food Group into a smaller food group?

Will the smoking ban result in fewer people smoking ... or will people simply smoke and socialise more at home? If the latter, then c-stores and off licences stand to benefit from the legislation as more customers need to top-up locally, and this would be good news for the wholesalers supplying these outlets - if they get their offer right.

It's your usual meeting room in a Midlands hotel (well, it's in the sedate pastoral setting of suburban Stratford-upon-Avon to be accurate). Arranged committee style, the meeting discusses the next steps in the MSYS campaign leading to and including the third annual National Independents' Day (NID) on June lst. And beyond.

The UK cash and carry and delivered wholesale industry moves to The Belfry on April 3 & 4 to hold its annual conference with the theme of 'Heart of the Community'.

MBL managing director Mike Taylor will update delegates on his company's integration of Budgens and Londis and progress towards its goal of becoming solely a wholesaler.

Booker's recently appointed chief executive Charles Wilson will be making his first public presentation since he took charge of the company in October.

John Baines will be representing the Today's Group after an eventful year which saw it celebrate its 18th birthday. The anniversary was marked by its biggest promotional exercise, its Brandwagon tour, which involved a roadshow visiting its top 20 members across the UK.

Philipp Dautzenberg, managing director of Makro, will present an update on the company's progress.

Martin Race, operations director of Batleys, will be making a presentation to the conference a year on from the takeover of the company by Bestway.

A presentation on the development of Sugro will be given by managing director Philip Jenkins.

Andrew Thewlis, finance director and company secretary at Landmark Wholesale, will present a paper on progress since its change of name in October - and how its new focus is working.

Who is winning the battle for convenience shoppers' business, and why, are two of the questions David Glennon, marketing manager of ACNeilsen, will be tackling, using data from its Scantrack service.

As the British wholesale and independent retail sector steps up the fight against unfair competition from the major supermarkets, delegates at this year's conference will be able to hear the views of a top international expert on competition law.

Set in the heart of 550 acres of Warwickshire countryside, The Belfry is one of Europe's leading conference, leisure and golf resorts.

Whether providing a cash and carry or delivered service, a wholesaler's most important asset will always be its staff. But investing in the best tools to help them to do their jobs as efficiently as possible is becoming more and more essential. The latest technology can offer a potential advantage in a highly competitive market.

After years of spectacular success the snacks category in 2005 was beginning to look like a Premiership football team with a few of its star players past their best and slipping towards relegation. Even with Gary Lineker leading its attack, the major star in the category, Walkers crisps, was firing blanks and Golden Wonder was notching up losses which finally dragged it into receivership early in the New Year.

Following a dedicated Take Home Blueprint forum at Costco's Oldham depot, the Village Stores at Helmshore, in Rossendale, has undergone a complete alcohol relay with help from the Blueprint team.

Nestlé Rowntree has revealed a new positioning for its KitKat Chunky brand, designed to appeal to younger male consumers.

Tropicana is adding four new flavours to its Pure Premium range including Pure Premium Blueberry Blend - the category's first branded chilled blueberry juice.

Leaf UK is boosting its Chewits and Malaco kids' confectionery brands with the introduction of new flavours and shelf-ready packs.

Vimto Soft Drinks is relaunching the Panda brand it acquired from Hall & Woodhouse in 2005, and is backing it with a £2m support package.

Imperial Tobacco's Panama cigar brand will be available in new updated packs from the beginning of April.

InBev UK has unveiled a new 4% ABV lager to generate value and margin in the standard lager category. Beck's Vier is imported from Beck's brewery in Bremen, Germany.

Kumala will be introducing premium new-look packaging across its range of easy drinking wines in April.

Halewood International has launched Red Ice, a cherry variant, into its Red Square portfolio this month.

S&N UK is set to launch the first national television campaign for San Miguel at the end of April as part of a £9m support plan for the premium beer brand this year.

Brothers Drinks is launching a new range of premium bottled ciders into the UK market, comprising Pear Cider, Original Apple Cider, Strawberry Mixed Pear Cider and a festival-strength Pear Cider.

Yet when a supplier makes that possible and it results in extra business, I am more than happy. A good example is Constellation Europe's recent Hardy's wine deal where our two for £8 retail offering was stronger than Sainsbury's (£4.29 a bottle) and Tesco's (20% off). Here is one company which regularly provides us with the necessary ammunition to match and beat multiple deals and, as a result, is performing superbly with us.

Good information is vital to securing our future and we buyers now have masses of data at our fingertips. What we lack is the time to analyse and interpret it correctly.

In spite of its origins, S&N is hoping for a long England run in the World Cup in June to boost profits even further this summer. From a purely selfish perspective I hope our wholesale competitors and multiple operators will be of similar mind.

It is crazy we should have to fight so hard for fair play - this morning I have had to go through the same routine yet again.

We, too, are always looking for better prices but this is a step too far. Own brand food and drink suppliers will be hard pushed to find the money and should resist these bully boy tactics.