Brakes has taken a majority stake in O’Kane Foodservice based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, for an undisclosed sum.

Booker Group is well positioned to weather the economic downturn, and may well find new opportunities because of it, according to chief executive Charles Wilson.

Drinks distributor W Hall & Son (Holywell) Ltd has been purchased by the South Wales brewer SA Brain & Co for an undisclosed sum.

Landmark Wholesale has rolled out its consumer campaign 'Shop Local, Shop Often, Spend Less at Lifestyle Express' across its 1,500 Lifestyle Express stores.

Harrow-based cash and carry operator Premier Wholesale has nearly doubled the size of its depot to 32,000sq ft by taking over its neighbouring unit.

3663 is to start work on a new distribution centre in Kent. Planning permission has been granted by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to 3663 for the development of the 120,000sq ft multi-temperature depot in Paddock Wood.

The Today's Group announced its trading performance over the last year at its supplier presentation, held at Leicester Racecourse.

Premier Foods has awarded its Manager of the Month title to Iain Bell, general manager at Parfetts Somercotes depot, part of the Landmark Wholesale group. The depot serves grocery customers across the Derbyshire area.

Musgrave Retail Partners GB has launched a new low-cost EPoS system for Londis retailers.

Booker has launched a re-useable cotton shopping bag. The environmentally friendly bags were successfully trialled for three months at Premier stores throughout the country and are now available in all 172 Booker branches nationwide.

DBC Foodservice has announced a deal with Angus Steak House to deliver products to all of its London restaurants. This new business will see DBC supplying the full range of frozen, ambient and chilled products to locations across the capital.

Booker has launched its Range & Price Guide for autumn 2008.

The bad news is that we are in a persistent credit crunch where the banks that have any cash are hoarding it, and those that do not are seeking a bail out. As this impacts on the hard-pressed UK consumer, it would not appear to be the greatest climate for business.

The FWD My Shop Is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign has been boosted by feedback from 15,000 independent retailers which reveals that brands promoted in the National Independents' Week tabloid coupon promotion in June increased sales by an average of 15.7 %.

ProWholesaler has learned that the My Shop Is Your Shop campaign is alerting cash and carry and delivered wholesalers to a new phase of the Walk & Shop activity which will set a target of saving one million tons of CO2 emissions.

Now in its fifth year, the My Shop Is Your Shop promotional platform for suppliers is becoming an established calendar 'must'. Leading suppliers are confirming that National Independents' Week 09 which begins on Monday June 1st is now fixed in promotional schedules. Key confectionery, snacks and crisps and soft drinks brands are among those indicating to wholesalers their noting of the date.

Booker Group has reported increased turnover and profits for the six months to September 12.

Today’s member W Hall & Son (Holywell) Ltd has been purchased by the South Wales brewer SA Brain & Co for an undisclosed sum.

Hancocks is to open a new depot in Liverpool this month, taking its total of cash and carries across England, Scotland and Wales to 16.

Makro has launched a delicatessen range designed for its independent hotel, restaurant, retail and catering customers.

Palmer & Harvey McLane is closing its Winerite alcohol distribution depot in Leeds.

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises has named Booker as the recommended food supplier for all 2,100 of its licensees.

A new category management initiative aimed at increasing sales and profit has been launched at the Martex cash and carry division of CJ Lang & Son.

Birds Eye has set up a dedicated foodservice division which began shipping a new range of frozen products to wholesalers this week.

Premier Foods has awarded its Manager of the Month title to Jason Wouhra, depot manager at East End Foods in Highgate, Birmingham, a Landmark Wholesale group member.

The takeover of Woodward Foodservice by Brakes has been given the green light by the Office of Fair Trading.

Parfetts Cash & Carry has been mentoring local primary school children as part of the Stockport Young Entrepreneur competition.

The Foodservice division of CJ Lang & Son has introduced an every-day-low-pricing (EDLP) policy on a core range of non-food products for a three-month period, and has unveiled its new logo.

Brakes has added a new range of soups to its portfolio of ambient products and has extended its range of frozen desserts.

Wholesalers continued their fight against a possible tobacco display ban at retail when earlier this month the Federation of Wholesale Distributors sent a robust response to the Department of Health on its latest consultation on future tobacco controls. FWD first raised its concerns on this matter in a letter to Dawn Primarolo, the Minister of State for Public Health, last April when the "going dark" idea was first mooted.

Appleby Westward, together with Spar’s Wessex Guild, has become the first regional distribution centre within Spar to deck its vehicle fleet with advertising from the symbol group’s new Sorted! advertising campaign.

The My Shop is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign and Landmark Wholesale (see below) are both stepping up initiatives to encourage consumers to shop locally.

The Today's Group has reported sales up 12.8% year-on-year in its second quarter, and a 5.4% increase in volume.

Landmark Wholesale is launching a campaign designed to encourage consumers to change their shopping habits.

Duty fraud on a significant scale has returned to the UK within the past few weeks, robbing wholesalers of business at one of the busiest times of the year.

Booker has launched a 'Quick and Easy' hot food solution to help retailers sell food-on-the-go.

Rochdale Cash & Carry opened new premises last month after an investment of more than £2.5m.

Costco opened its 20th warehouse in the UK and its first in Wales at Cardiff last week.

Premier Foods has awarded its Manager of the Month title to Sarbjit Singh, depot manager at Bestway Cash and Carry's thriving depot serving over 2,500 retailers across Leicester. Sarbjit has worked for Bestway for over 27 years, and has been based at the Leicester depot for 19 years. It is here that he met Premier Foods' business development executive, Graham Goggins.

DBC Foodservice has won a

Southern Comfort has put a special emphasis on the wholesale channel to support its £1.2m 'Suspended moments' campaign on TV and outdoor media over the summer.

Summertime is with us at last and, according to the Gershwin lyric, the living should be easy. Well, from a wholesaler's perspective you would at least expect a significant boost to your beer and wine sales as some hot holiday weather arrived.

Cash prizes and trophies have been awarded to staff at Batleys Cash and Carry who have demonstrated the best approach to their work throughout its 19 depots.

Depot staff and customers are being given the chance to win tickets to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza next month in Peroni's latest cash and carry promotion.

In a new unique community bonding programme, five local independent convenience stores and newsagents took teams of youngsters to Leicester City's training dome for an inter-shop tournament.

Baugur, the largest investor in two major wholesale businesses, has sold its stakes to concentrate on its retail interests.

Booker announced at its annual general meeting plans to give staff a stake in the business with a share incentive scheme for senior employees and a Save As You Earn Scheme for all staff.

Key Lekkerland has announced it will close its head office and transfer management of its national accounts to members.

The Prime Minister's call to make the saving of food as important as saving energy has prompted the My Shop is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign to recognise the issue as a positive sales builder for local shops.

Musgrave Group has closed three Holmes cash and carry depots in Northern Ireland, and plans to convert the rest to its format.

One of the highest profile leaders in the wholesale sector has announced that he will be retiring in March 2009.

Premier Foods has awarded its Manager of the Month title to Les Biddle, grocery category controller at Dhamecha - the five-strong chain of cash and carry outlets serving more than 10,000 retailers within the M25.

Makro is aiming to increase its staff's understanding of customers' businesses by arranging for them to work in restaurants, pubs and caterers across the UK.

Landmark Wholesale member Parfetts Cash & Carry has renewed its sponsorship of Stockport County Football Club for the 2008/09 season, following its promotion to League One through the play offs.

Drinksummit celebrated its 18th birthday in June and again focused the trade's attention on the critical importance of the alcoholic drinks category to the overall well-being of the wholesale grocery market.

Spar's largest wholesale company, AF Blakemore & Son, is to introduce a guaranteed investment scheme to encourage retail members to refurbish their stores.

Coors Brewers won the FWD Drinksummit Vase, which was presented at the conference last month.

National Independents' Week, the centerpiece of the My Shop is Your Shop campaign, saw Landmark Wholesale managing director Martin Williams in the front line helping out in a Hot House store.

Booker has maintained its recovery, reporting a further increase in sales, and its former chairman and chief executive officer Hans Kristian Hustad has stepped down from its board.

Booker Group is maintaining its recovery, announcing pre-tax profits of £36.2m for the year ended March 28, up 27% on the previous year.

The independent sector has reacted with disappointment to the final report on the grocery market, published by the Competition Commission.