The Wholesale Group, the enlarged buying group formed at the start of the year by combining Confex and Fairway Foodservice, claims that it will transform how its 255 independent wholesale members and supplier partners compete in an increasingly complex marketplace with the introduction of new AI technology.
Working with ShopAI, The Wholesale Group has created Jake AI. Serving as a bridge between suppliers and wholesalers, the tool enables brands to conduct analysis across the entire network, identify untapped opportunities, and generate sales proposals, marketing plans, and joint business plans on demand, “all in a matter of seconds”. Jake’s AI capabilities are focused on specific trading data to deliver “unprecedented wholesale industry precision”.
Tom Gittins, Joint Managing Director, The Wholesale Group, commented: “The wholesale industry has always been built on relationships, data, and quick decision-making, and with Jake AI, we’re taking this a step forward.
“Jake represents a fundamental shift in how our wholesale members can access and utilise their data. Unlike traditional business intelligence tools that require technical expertise, due to its advanced modern language models, Jake can be used conversationally to make it easier than ever before.
“Members and suppliers can ask Jake questions such as ‘What’s driving the margin decline in frozen foods this quarter?’ and receive immediate insights that would previously have taken hours of analysis.”
The group noted that Jake’s reasoning capabilities extend beyond simple data retrieval. The tool analyses market trends, identifies promotional opportunities, and correlates sales patterns across the buying group’s entire network of 255+ members. This collective intelligence is claimed to create competitive advantages that individual wholesalers could never achieve alone.
“This technological advancement positions The Wholesale Group far ahead of traditional wholesale models,” said Ilann Hepworth, ShopAI.
“The future of wholesaling isn’t about replacing human expertise with artificial intelligence, it’s about creating intelligent partnerships that amplify human capability. What sets Jake apart from other AI tools is its conversational interface, which removes technical barriers, enabling any team member to access sophisticated business intelligence through natural conversation.”
“Through Jake AI, The Wholesale Group is writing the playbook for this future ensuring their members and suppliers remain competitive while setting new standards for the entire wholesale industry.”
NAM Implications:
- AI may well have all of the answers.
- But even some of the answers, faster, can help…
- All a matter of devoting sufficient time to trying some of the answers.
- And being wholesale, results won’t take long…
- Worth a try…
