Mars, Nestlé and Haribo stockist Hancocks joins Today's Group

Independent buying firm Today’s Group has added British confectionery wholesaler Hancocks as a member.

It comes four years after Hancocks was sold to private equity firm H2 Equity Partners for around £50m ($78m) in 2012.

Loughborough-based Hancocks was founded in 1962 and sells over 5,000 branded and own-label confectionery products including brands by Mars, Mondelēz and Lindt to sweet shops and independent grocers across the UK.

It operates 20 cash and carry sites, an online wholesale business, and a distribution arm called “World of Sweets”. The company generates annual revenues of around £130m ($186m).

Hancocks executive chairman Mark Watson said:  “It was a big decision for us to join a buying group after operating independently for 54 years, however, in Today’s Group we feel we have found a perfect partner to work with in the future to help the whole group benefit from the substantial buying power it will now have.”