Today’s Group member Dee Bee has invested more than £500K into opening a new cash & carry in Hull, which is expected to create more than 35 full and part-time jobs.
The parent company, the Ramsden Group, of Grimsby, says the new venture will be a mirror of its Dee Bee unit and business model in Grimsby, which has served customers across North East Lincolnshire for 54 years. It will also see the return of the popular Dee Bee brand to Hull after an absence of more than 25 years.
Group managing director, Nick Ramsden, said: “This is an exciting expansion for the Dee Bee side of our business but there is also some nostalgia linked to the move. We owned and operated a Dee Bee cash and carry on this site some 25 years ago.
“Since then, the property has been leased but the leaseholder is moving to new, larger premises elsewhere in Hull so are delighted to be moving back into the city where we have many friends and customers.
“We would like to be able to commence recruitment early in the New Year but we must first agree a change of use clause with the City Council and we are currently in dialogue with officers to revert to the site’s original purpose.”
Mr Ramsden said the company had recently invested a further £1m in the Dee Bee business in IT, new offices, vehicles and product handling to make sure it remains one of the most modern and best equipped businesses of its kind in the country.”
The Leads Road store provides 70,000 sq. ft. of space and will hold around 6,000 different products, including alcohol, confectionery, soft drinks, snacks, grocery and catering lines. It will supply independent retailers, food service outlets, pubs and clubs and will be open to the trade.
Dee Bee currently services around 40 convenience stores and pubs in Hull, representing 10% of the current turnover, but Nick Ramsden said the company was confident that this will rise significantly in the first year of operation.
He added: “Hull has one of the highest number of convenience stores per capita in the UK and there is no sign of this trend declining. By opening a new cash and carry, we are taking our business closer to our customers, providing faster, more efficient access to their purchasing needs.”
The company plans to announce details of its recruitment campaign early in the New Year.
