About
A straightforward wholesale supplier — built for buyers who run real businesses.
Import Supplies Ltd was founded to do one thing well: import non-perishable food, short-dated branded lines, and household supplies from trusted producers, and sell them to UK retailers and operators on terms that put margin back into the business.
Our story
Started by people who’ve worked both sides of the dock.
Independent retailers in this country are asked to compete with multiples that buy at a scale they can’t match. The wholesale market that’s supposed to level that out is — too often — opaque, slow, and full of stock no-one will tell you the dates on.
We started Import Supplies because we’ve been on both sides of that conversation: importing from European producers and selling to UK shopkeepers, cash-and-carry operators, and charities buying for redistribution. Every part of our process is built around what we wished we’d had as buyers ourselves — clear stock lists, honest date codes, one person on the phone, and a price you can build a margin on.
We don’t pretend to be the biggest. We’re focused on doing imports cleanly: fewer middlemen, fewer surprises, and the kind of relationships where you can call us when something’s wrong and we’ll pick up.
What we believe
The principles we trade by.
Honesty about dates
Every line ships with its remaining best-before window stated on the order confirmation. If it’s short-dated, we say so. If it’s a long-life ambient line, we say so. Nothing is hidden until you open the pallet.
Direct relationships
We buy direct from European producers and short-dated wholesalers, cutting unnecessary intermediaries. Lower landed cost flows through to better trade prices.
One person, not a portal
You get a named contact from your first enquiry. The same person quotes, takes the order, and chases your delivery if it doesn’t land when it should.
No minimum dignity
Whether you’re a single-store independent or a national discount chain, the date code on your pallet is the same one we’d ship to ourselves.
No waste for the sake of it
A material part of our work is moving short-dated branded stock into hands that will sell it before the date — keeping good product out of skip yards.
Stand behind what we ship
If a pallet lands damaged, mis-picked or short, we fix it. Not with a 30-page returns process — with a phone call and a credit note.
What we don’t do
Saying no is part of the job.
- ✕We don’t sell to consumers.Import Supplies is trade-only — retailers, wholesalers, and registered charities. If you’re an end consumer, please buy from one of our trade customers.
- ✕We don’t deal in expired stock.“Short-dated” means within best-before. Once a line passes its use-by, it doesn’t leave our warehouse.
- ✕We don’t carry chilled or frozen.Our supply chain is ambient and household — we don’t pretend to have a cold chain we don’t.
- ✕We don’t auction stock to the highest bidder.Pricing is the same for like-for-like buyers. No hidden tiers; no rates we won’t put in writing.
What we do
The things we’d expect from a supplier.
- ✓Quote in writing, including BBE windows and case packs.
- ✓Confirm your order before we pick — so you sign off on the dates.
- ✓Use proper UK pallet networks for nationwide delivery.
- ✓Provide commercial invoice, packing list, and lot codes with every order.
- ✓Answer your call. Within hours, not days.
- ✓Tell you when stock is landing so you can plan.