Shh, it’s a secret…that everyone knows

What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows.

This is an industry that prides itself on the strength of its relationships. On the close working relationships between merchants and other merchants, between suppliers and other suppliers – competition rules not withstanding of course –  and between merchants and suppliers.

These close personal relationships, which in a great many cases are actual friendships, mean that the grapevine is particularly well developed in this sector. We all know someone who believes a secret is something that they only tell one other person at a time (Yes, that is EXACTLY who I mean. As the common parlance has it – if you know, you know).

So, in an industry that is particularly bad at keeping secrets, the one that broke on Monday morning was especially badly kept. Buying group NBG has a new Partner – the Independent Buying Consortium, itself a buying group. Who knew? Well, it turns out, everyone. I’ve been having ‘off-the-record’ conversations with people about this since early Summer.

Buying groups have always evolved, grown, developed, in the same way that the businesses they serve have always evolved, grown and developed. What worked for NBG Partners way back in 2003 when it first formed, doesn’t necessarily work quite as well, or in quite the same way now. The same can be said for IBC.

Both parties are clear on one thing: this isn’t a merger, despite the rumour mill insisting on calling it that in last few months. NBG hasn’t suddenly got 220 new Partners, each with a vote. It’s added just the one – IBC. One new Partner, one new vote.

As I understand it, the members of IBC will continue to use IBC in the same way they always have, partaking of those deals that best fit their own business’ need. It’s just that now, they will have access to a wider range of deals, those that NBG has negotiated. It gives them more heft, and access to more competitive pricing than IBC could negotiate on its own.

For NBG, the benefit is that it now has the buying power of those 220 IBC members to add weight to the supplier negotiations. More volume equals better, more competitive pricing. At least, that’s the theory. For suppliers who don’t already have an IBC deal, it brings more merchants into their customer base.

As I said earlier, buying groups have, along with the businesses they represent, always evolved and changed as the market requires. 2025 started with some high-profile names moving from CBA into Fortis. 2026 is likely to see more changes. These things tend to come in twos and threes. Watch this space.