Administrators Appointed to SOS Wholesale as Trading Ceases

Discount wholesaler SOS Wholesale Ltd has entered administration, with Rick Harrison and Howard Smith of Interpath Advisory appointed joint administrators on 8 September. The move underscores the mounting strain across the UK retail supply chain, as rising input costs and shifting consumer habits continue to erode margins.

Founded in 1996, SOS Wholesale grew into one of the UK’s largest delivered wholesalers, supplying branded groceries, beverages, household goods, and confectionary to convenience stores, discounters, major multiples, and garden centres across the UK and Ireland. Operating from a distribution centre in Derby and a sales office in Barnsley, the business employed around 100 people at the time of its collapse.

Directors cited sustained pressure on cash flow and profitability as the primary drivers for the insolvency. Trading has ceased, with most staff made redundant. A small number remain in place to support the administrators as they assess options, including a possible sale of the business and its assets.

“The retail sector is currently facing a number of challenges which are being felt throughout the supply chain,” Harrison said. “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.” He added that Interpath is urgently seeking interest from potential buyers while also assisting affected employees in accessing the Redundancy Payments Service.