Tue, 09 Sep 2025 | ADMINISTRATION
Administrators are targeting a sale of the business and assets of a Derby-based wholesaler following its collapse. SOS Wholesale Limited supplied consumer goods to convenience, discount, independent, major multiple and garden centre retailers.
The company was founded in 1996 and had expanded to become one of the UK’s largest wholesalers. It supplied a wide range of branded products, including groceries, toiletries and household goods from a warehouse and distribution centre in Derby, supported by a Barnsley-based sales team.
In the year to October 31 2024, the company reported turnover of £42.7 million, down from £49.5 million a year earlier, but post-tax profits increased from £7.9 million to approximately £8.7 million.
However, the company had been impacted by rising input costs and changing consumer spending habits over recent months, putting its cashflow and profitability under pressure and resulting in the business being unable to meet its financial obligations as they fell due.
In the face of this situation, the directors took the decision to place the company into administration, with Interpath Advisory’s Rick Harrison and Howard Smith appointed as joint administrators on September 8, 2025.
Upon their appointment, the majority of the company’s 100 staff have been made redundant, with the senior leadership, sales and telesales teams joining The Soft Drinks Company after SOS Wholesale filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on September 8.
The business has now ceased trading, with a small number of staff retained to assist the joint administrators, who are exploring options including a potential sale process for the company’s business and assets.
Interpath Advisory Managing Director and joint administrator Rick Harrison commented: "The retail sector is currently facing a number of challenges with this being felt up and down the supply chain. While SOS Wholesale had established itself as one of the largest wholesalers in the market, the challenges it faced and the impact on its finances proved insurmountable.”
"Regrettably, the business was not in a position to continue trading and the majority of staff have been made redundant. We urgently call on any interested parties to come forward as we explore options for a possible sale of the business and its assets.”
In its most recent accounts, the company’s fixed assets were valued at £380,500 and current assets at around £20.5 million, with net assets amounting to £9.4 million.
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