Batleys bosses have confirmed that the wholesaler remains keen to develop further sites in the South of England, despite admitting it is facing difficulty finding anywhere large enough to meet its requirements.
The wholesaler, whose heartland has historically been in the North of England, was purchased by the Bestway group in 2005. It opened its latest southern depot in Gillingham, Kent, earlier this month and has a branch in Fareham, Hampshire.
The company has been rumoured to be looking at possible sites in Brighton, East Sussex. Operations director Martin Race would not confirm any locations, but told C-Store that Batleys was keen to develop further branches in the South East - an area where Bestway has its highest concentration of depots.
Race said: "We're definitely looking for more sites but the problem we face, far more so than the cost, is in finding a site large enough to cater for our needs. It's true we'd like some more sites in the South, and we're definitely looking to add another site in Scotland."
Race admitted it was important Batleys did not step on Bestway's toes and added: "Any new site in the South certainly wouldn't be inside the M25. Potential sites will all depend on whether they would best suit Batleys' or Bestway's needs."
The wholesaler, whose heartland has historically been in the North of England, was purchased by the Bestway group in 2005. It opened its latest southern depot in Gillingham, Kent, earlier this month and has a branch in Fareham, Hampshire.
The company has been rumoured to be looking at possible sites in Brighton, East Sussex. Operations director Martin Race would not confirm any locations, but told C-Store that Batleys was keen to develop further branches in the South East - an area where Bestway has its highest concentration of depots.
Race said: "We're definitely looking for more sites but the problem we face, far more so than the cost, is in finding a site large enough to cater for our needs. It's true we'd like some more sites in the South, and we're definitely looking to add another site in Scotland."
Race admitted it was important Batleys did not step on Bestway's toes and added: "Any new site in the South certainly wouldn't be inside the M25. Potential sites will all depend on whether they would best suit Batleys' or Bestway's needs."
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