FAQ
Frequently asked questions
The things buyers ask us — grouped to make them easier to skim. If your question isn’t here, the contact page gets you to a person.
Opening an account
Who can open a trade account?+
UK-registered businesses (limited companies, sole traders, partnerships), registered charities including food banks and pantries, and food-service operators. We verify against Companies House where applicable; for unincorporated traders we ask for evidence of trading.
How long does approval take?+
Most applications are approved within one working day. Once approved, you receive the live stock list and a named buyer contact.
Do you sell to consumers?+
No. Import Supplies is wholesale-only. If you’re a consumer, please buy from one of our retail customers.
Ordering
Is there a minimum order?+
For mainland UK delivery, the minimum is one mixed or full pallet (typically £500–£800 of stock). For collection from our warehouse, there’s no minimum — you can take a single case.
Can I mix categories on one pallet?+
Yes. Mixed pallets across ambient food, short-dated, household and general supplies are encouraged — most regular trade buyers do exactly that.
Are SKUs always available?+
Our stock changes weekly as containers and short-dated buys arrive. The category pages describe what we routinely carry; the live stock list shows what’s actually in the warehouse on the day.
Do you source to order?+
Yes, for regular volume. Tell us the brand, spec and timing, and we’ll quote against it.
Dates & quality
How much shelf life will I get?+
Best-before windows are stated on every line on the order confirmation. Long-life ambient grocery typically ships with 6–18 months remaining; short-dated lines ship with 1–6 months remaining at the price reflecting that window.
Do you sell past use-by?+
No. Use-by is a safety boundary; we never supply past that date. Best-before, by contrast, is a quality marker — short-dated lines are within best-before and remain legally safe and saleable.
Are products labelled in English?+
Yes. All products we wholesale are labelled in English to UK food information requirements. Where the source product is in another language, we apply a compliant English overlabel before it leaves us.
How do you handle allergens?+
The 14 major UK-listed allergens are verified against ingredient declarations at onboarding. We apply English overlabels where the source label is in another language. See our quality page for full detail.
Payment & delivery
How do I pay?+
First order: pro-forma — we send an invoice, you pay by bank transfer, we despatch on cleared funds. Card payment is available on smaller orders. Credit terms by arrangement once we’ve traded.
Where do you deliver?+
Mainland UK — England, Wales, Scotland — with standard 1–3 working day transit. Northern Ireland, Highlands & Islands, and Isle of Wight available with a surcharge and longer transit.
Can I collect?+
Yes — by appointment, 24 hours’ notice. We can load rigid lorries, 7.5t and 18t vehicles, and smaller vehicles by hand.
What if something arrives damaged?+
Phone us within 24 hours with a photo and we’ll issue a credit or replacement. Full process on our returns & claims page.
Still have a question?
We’d rather you ask than wonder. The contact page goes straight to our buying team.