UK wholesale servicing Morrisons shuts down amid liquidation

Localist – The Food Merchant, based in East Kilbride, launched in 1994 (as Food From Scotland Ltd) with the aim of helping independent food businesses in Scotland grow.

Over the years, the company has expanded and begun helping local food suppliers across the UK get their products to major retailers, including Morrisons, Co-op, and Waitrose, and food services.

Localist delivered 4,000 products per week to more than 2,500 retail stores and 1,000 contract catering units, according to The Grocer.

Co-op was one of the major retailers Localist – The Food Merchant used to provide products to. (Image: PA)

The company changed its name to Enterprise Foods Ltd in 2001, before rebranding again in 2025 to Localist – The Food Merchant.

Localist – The Food Merchant shuts down after entering liquidation

Now, after 32 years, Localist – The Food Merchant has ceased trading after entering liquidation, according to Companies House.

The closure of the wholesaler has resulted in the loss of 71 jobs.

George Lafferty of BTG was appointed liquidator by Hamilton Sheriff Court on March 18.

Managing partner of BTG in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Thomas McKay, speaking to the Glasgow Times, said: “The directors had made efforts to restructure the debt of the company in order to save the business and rescue the jobs, and the loss of the jobs was sadly inevitable when this was not successful.

“There are many small suppliers to the business that are owed money, and the loss of this route to market will also have a serious knock-on effect on these food producers as well. 

“We are working to assess all claims and establish whether there will be any dividend paid to unsecured creditors, but it is not likely to be significant, given the level of secured debts in the business.

“Regrettably, the failure of the company has resulted in 71 redundancies and we are working closely with those affected to help them access the financial entitlements and support available to them, including assistance from Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) and the Redundancy Payments Service.

“Our priorities now include ensuring these employees receive the guidance and advice they need during this process, and that we maximise the return from the sale of assets to the benefit of creditors.”

Turbulent start to 2026 for UK high street

It has been a rough start to 2026 for the UK high street, with several retailers entering administration and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street retailers, including River Island, Primark, and Poundland, have already been forced to close stores in 2026, while Revolution and BrewDog have shut the doors to 21 and 38 pubs, respectively.

Several other retailers have fallen into administration recently, including:

Meanwhile, four UK travel companies have closed in the opening weeks of 2026:

EcoJet Airlines, billed as “the world’s first Electric Airline”, has also entered liquidation after just three years, resulting in the cancellation of all planned flights.

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out over the coming months after being acquired by InPost.

Tesco also recently revealed plans to cut 380 jobs in stores across the UK, while it’s been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It’s not been all bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Which of these recent insolvencies or closures has affected you the most? Let us know in the comments below.