If you run a physical shop, you probably already buy from a cash & carry. The question most independent retailers eventually ask is whether a delivered wholesaler would save them time — and whether it would cost them more.

The honest answer is that most shops do best using both. Here is how to decide what to buy where.

How a cash & carry works

A cash & carry is a trade warehouse: you open an account, drive there, pick your stock and take it away. In the UK, names like Booker, Bestway and Costco's business membership are familiar to most shop owners.

Strengths

You see exactly what you are buying, including dates on short-life stock
No minimum delivery order — buy two cases or twenty
Promotions and price-marked packs change often and you can pick them up on the day
Ideal for topping up between deliveries

Weaknesses

Your time, fuel and vehicle cost money — and a trip can take half a day
Stock you want may be out on the day you visit
You are limited to the range one warehouse carries

How a delivered wholesaler works

A delivered wholesaler takes your order online or by phone and brings it to your shop, usually on set delivery days.

Strengths

Saves the trip — often the biggest hidden cost of cash & carry
Wider or more specialist ranges (gifts, health and beauty, hardware, specialist food)
Easier to plan: regular delivery days, order history and repeat orders
Some offer credit terms once you have a trading history

Weaknesses

Minimum order values for free delivery
You can't inspect stock before it arrives
Delivery windows may not suit a small shop with limited back-room space

Which is cheaper?

It depends on the product and on how you value your time. A unit price that looks higher from a delivered wholesaler can still work out cheaper once you count the time and fuel a cash & carry trip costs. Equally, cash & carry promotions can beat delivered prices on fast-moving lines.

A simple way to compare:

List your top 20 lines by sales.
Get the case price and case size for each from both routes.
Add the cost of your cash & carry trips (time and fuel) spread across what you buy on a typical visit.
Compare the landed cost per unit, not the headline case price.

What to buy where

Buy from a cash & carry	Buy delivered
Fast-moving grocery, soft drinks and confectionery	Specialist ranges your local cash & carry doesn't carry
Promotions and price-marked packs	Bulky or heavy lines you don't want to transport
Emergency top-ups between deliveries	Regular, predictable repeat orders
Short-dated food where you want to check dates	New lines you want to test from a wider range

Questions to ask any supplier

What is the minimum order value for free delivery, and what are the delivery days to my area?
What are the case sizes on my best sellers — can I buy a smaller outer?
Do you sell price-marked packs? (See what PMPs are and when to stock them.)
What are your payment terms, and do you offer credit after a trading history?
How do you handle damaged or short-dated deliveries?

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a trade account to use a cash & carry? Yes — most ask for proof that you run a business. See how to open a trade account.

Can a small shop meet delivered wholesalers' minimum orders? Often, yes — minimums vary widely. Combining your regular order into fewer, larger deliveries usually gets you over the line.

Should I use more than one wholesaler? Most independents do: one main supplier for everyday lines, a cash & carry for top-ups and promotions, and specialists for anything that sets the shop apart.

Find wholesalers for your shop

Tell GSAi you run a shop and search for any product. It searches cash & carries and delivered wholesalers by the case and shows trade prices, case sizes and minimum orders where the supplier publishes them. Start a free 3-day trial — no card needed.