The latest group to join is LIMA, which was formed in 2008 to combine the buying power of two of the UK’s leading independent merchant groups, MKM and Bradford. Between them the companies have turnover of £230m.
The organisation joins PHG, IBC, and NBG into BMF membership, leaving just three outside the fold.
“In the past, there may have been mixed views on having buying groups as members, some even saw them almost as rivals to trade associations,” said BMF managing director John Newcomb.
“But it’s my mission to ensure the BMF is fully representative of our industry and they are now such a critical element of the industry and exercise an important influence.
Some independent merchants have also told me that, without them, they just would not have survived the recession. “
Under the arrangement with LIMA, as with other buying group members, it will pay a single turnover-based BMF subscription on behalf of companies that belong to it.
“This is also an administrative benefit to the BMF,” said Mr Newcomb. “Instead of invoicing, say, 80 merchants, we are just invoicing one organisation.”
At the same time, he stressed, each member of the buying group will still get the same service from the BMF as individual member companies. Mr Newcomb says there is an open invitation to the three remaining buying groups to join as part of the BMF’s “one industry, one voice mission”.
Overall this year, it increased membership by 70 to 394.
“And that was actually the net increase, taking into account members lost to consolidation, and closure,” said Mr Newcomb. “In total, we signed up around 90 new companies.”
The target total of 500 members for next year, he said, would be a challenge, but is achievable.
“We’re also aiming for this increase to include at least one more national and one of the remaining buying groups,” he said. “If we do that, we’ll have 75% market coverage.”
