Fresho buys Nation Wilcox and lays claim to being the UK's leading software platform for food wholesalers
Fresho, an order management platform for fresh food wholesalers, has acquired Nation Wilcox, a provider of ERP software to food suppliers across the UK.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Fresho's platform brings together ordering, picking, invoicing and payments into a single system, using AI to automate order capture and reduce manual administration for wholesalers and food service caterers across its markets. It says that the acquisition establishes it as the market leading technology platform for food wholesalers in the UK, with a combined customer base of more than 400 businesses and over £2 billion in annual gross merchandise value (GMV).
Founded in Birmingham in 1978 by Neil Nation, Nation Wilcox has built a 48-year track record serving primary and secondary wholesalers as well as cash and carry businesses across the UK through its ERP platform, ISSAC (Integrated Sales & Stock Accounting). The business has developed expertise across order management, stock control, logistics and accounting and more recently online ordering, AI and mobile apps.
The deal is part of Fresho’s broader plan to accelerate the development of its AI capabilities and drive product innovation across its markets. Its goal is to modernise an industry that has historically been underserved by technology, bringing much needed consolidation to a fragmented market.
Nation Wilcox's presence among large primary wholesalers extends Fresho's reach beyond its existing base of food service distributors, while the combined business now reaches customers across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2015 by Huw Birrell and James Andronis, Fresho has grown to support distributors across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, Ireland and the United States. Since launching in the UK in 2020, the business now work with more than 250 customers in the market.
Nation Wilcox will continue to operate as a standalone entity under its existing brand, with no changes to customer contracts, support arrangements or day-to-day operations. As part of this acquisition, Andrew Nation, who has led the business since 2004, will join Fresho's board as a significant shareholder and play a key role in shaping the company's next phase of growth.
Andrew Nation, Managing Director of Nation Wilcox, says: "Nation Wilcox has been at the heart of UK food wholesale for more than four decades, and finding the right partner for the next chapter of the business was a carefully considered decision. Fresho's ambitions are the right fit for Nation Wilcox, and together the companies will be able to grow beyond the UK and become the premier supplier of IT systems to the food service industry worldwide. For our customers, this means access to the combined expertise of both organisations, with the continuity of the team they already know and trust."
Jamie Foale, General Manager UK & Ireland at Fresho, says: “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the Nation Wilcox team as they join the Fresho group. Acquiring this prestigious company establishes us as the leading technology platform for food service in the UK, and combining their decades of experience with our own will help us better serve the market. We look forward to working with Andrew to continue the success of Nation Wilcox and ensure that their customers feel as supported and confident in the continued investment in the software as ever.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
