Barbox, the online supplier to the licensed trade, has reassured customers that it will retain its independence following its acquisition by e-procurement company Amphire.
The combined supplier will process online orders for food and drink valued in excess of £1b. It is targeting 2.5 million transactions worth £2b in the next three years.
Duncan Malyon, managing director at Barbox, said: “This deal is great news for customers. It cements the company’s independence within our industry, and improves the offering. In particular, Amphire’s considerable experience with foodservice will be especially useful as more and more of the trade turns towards food.”
Barbox was set up as a joint venture between Coors Brewers and Scottish & Newcastle in 2000. It now handles £8m of weekly orders.
Jason Ridley, Amphire UK’s general manager, said: “This acquisition dramatically increases our capability overnight.
“With increased investment into our state of the art technology platform and the combined industry knowledge of the two teams, we’ll be ideally placed to help all operators and licensees run their businesses more efficiently and cost effectively.”
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By Christopher Walton