MERCHANT FOCUS: NU INDEPENDENT WHOLESALERS
lucky, as at that time they were looking to expand and we hit the criteria. We already had relationships with a few NMBS suppliers as we already stocked their products. This helped us cross over into NMBS so it worked out really well.”
The company first approached NMBS with a view to joining in 2024.
Cox continues: “When it came to joining the NMBS, I had a meeting with their area rep and business manager. We had a chat because they have to make sure that you are who you say you are, and what you say you are, because they wouldn’t want you to enter without having an actual trade counter. “We weren’t quite there when we first spoke to him for turnover purposes, and they gave us a goal to try and get to. When they brought out the affiliate membership option, they said to me straight away it would be ideal for us.”
The affiliate to full member pathway was introduced in 2024, with lower eligibility criteria than those required for full membership, allowing start-ups and businesses at an early stage in their growth trajectory to benefit from the buying group. These benefits include NMBS offers, invoice rebates
and preferential terms with over 500 leading building industry suppliers, effectively allowing the company to use NMBS as a springboard to further success.
“We hit the targets for that straight away,” Cox explains, “and then in the last review they said that we hit the criteria for membership. We were the first merchant to go from affiliate to full member.”
NU Independent’s journey from affiliate to full NMBS member took 14 months. Helped by its NMBS affiliation, the business saw strong growth during this time. It also made investments back into its operations, including relocating to larger premises and the creation of a dedicated bathroom showroom. “Now we can improve our profit margin because we’re buying direct through them rather than going through distribution.” continues Cox. “The more hands it goes through, everyone takes a cut, so if we can get it straight from the manufacturer, it works a lot better.
“A lot of our suppliers are the same ones we used before, but we have moved many over to NMBS. Electricly, Rexel, ABM, Hans Grohe and FloPlast have been a good help, and have made us a bit more competitive.
“We’re now going straight to the manufacturers because they offer deals through NMBS. It has given us access to Worcester Bosch for example. We’ve spent considerably with them this year, and just the fact that we can open an account so easily with having the NMBS backing, has been a real benefit. Being a small business, only seven years into our journey, I feel our growth has been pretty good and pretty consistent. I don’t think we could have done it without the backing of the two buying groups that we are part of.
“It also helps us to compete with what the nationals offer. In Taunton and Bridgewater, we’ve got some nationals that deliver to our area, but thanks to being a member of the group, we can now compete with that locally. Where they’ve got to cover a driver, we can offer the same products and our customers can come straight into the branch to buy the same stuff.
“We’re probably slightly overachieving at the moment, but it’s the support we’ve had from being in buying groups like NMBS that’s helped us to get where we are. It’s moved us forward within our growth plan; we are probably a year, if not two, ahead of where we thought we would be.
“We moved to our new location in November, and the showroom is set to open soon. We have a relatively big branch, a considerable sized showroom and trade counter, and the warehouse is big enough for what we need at the moment. We want to expand things as well with regards to the showroom. We’ve got decent suppliers involved and it looks nice now so hopefully it will grow and then then I can grow the team.”
“I think if we can focus locally and get that right, then if we were to add another branch, in the future, we could take that same ethos further afield.
“Turnover last year was about £900,000. We’re still growing each year, so it’s going in the right direction.” BMJ
October 2026
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