SH Jones and Frazier’s Wine Merchants have consolidated operations in Solihull with the creation of Frazier Jones

Two family-run wholesalers have joined forces in a deal that both companies believe gives them the scale they need to remain competitive.

Banbury-based SH Jones and Frazier’s Wine Merchants, which has a retail warehouse in Solihull as well as its trade operation, now operate as Frazier Jones. The 22-strong team is based in Solihull, with the Banbury site closed. Turnover will be more than £5m.

William Frazier and Richard Jones are directors of the new firm. Greg Shaw, who comes from the SH Jones team, has been appointed company secretary.

Shaw admits that “there was a little bit of friction between the two businesses historically” given their geographical proximity, but says relations have been cordial in recent times, and that there is a natural cultural fit.

Frazier adds: “We’re both members of the Merchant Vintners buying group, so that gave us a forum, I suppose, to work together more and more. We started sharing shipping costs and so forth.”

The pandemic was a catalyst foreven closer co-operation. Shaw says: “Initially the conversations were about how we could save costs, and ways we could do things more efficiently. We had a few visits out to producers we had in common in Spain and elsewhere.

“Covid got us moving to a different level of trying to think more strategically and how we deal with the challenges coming along. And I guess we just allied ourselves closer and closer.”

Frazier says the combined business would benefit from SH Jones’s expertise in direct shipping. But he stressed that the new company would continue to source much of its stock from UK agents.

Shaw adds: “The value we add as a business is connecting our customers as closely as possible to our producers. If we can do that much better, that helps us in our logistics, our costs, our pricing, all those things. One of the big cost savings for us is operating out of one warehouse, and not having two sets of costs there.”

Frazier says: “There were no redundancies. Unfortunately, a couple of people who commuted to work by foot or bicycle in Banbury haven’t been able to continue the journey, but everybody else has come along.”

Retail will continue to be an important part of the set-up, but the new company has no plans to open more wine shops.

SH Jones sold its retail arm, Slurp, to Freixenet Copestick in 2017 (which recently sold it on to Waugh Wines) and a non-compete clause in the contract has now lapsed.

Shaw says: “We think there’s an opportunity to try and get more into that business-to-consumer side. It’s not going to happen immediately, but we think there’s more to be done there.

“We had six shops at one point, and it was very hard managing those. With the combined business, not necessarily at this stage, but as things settle down, we’ll have more management resource to put into the retail side. I also think there’s more developments that can happen on the website, though it’s not the immediate focus.”

Frazier adds: “We are servicing more and more independent delis and wine shops. I don’t think it would be a good idea to compete with our customers.

“For our on-trade customers, why should we be the supplier, as opposed to an Enotria or a Hallgarten? We have to demonstrate that we have a scale and ability to meet your demands before you put your trust in us.

“We’re not selling to Pizza Hut or whatever. We’re still a mom-and-pop business who sell to mom-and-pop businesses who in turn serve families. 

“The real strategy behind the deal is to increase the size of the business so we can have [a wider] range and offer a diversity of products.”