Own-brand growth and store ranging
Unitas announced its £43 million own-brand sales ambition at the Shaping Tomorrow Together conference in Istanbul in September 2026. According to The Grocer, the group had not previously set a sales target for its own brands.
The group is also weighing healthier additions to Local Living, its own-label range of more than 100 lines. Cooke told Better Retailing in an article published October 21, 2026, that Unitas was considering the additions in response to changing demand linked to GLP-1 weight loss drugs. He also said Unitas is using AI to improve the selection of products stocked in stores.
Launch tracking and promotion results
Ignite, also launched at the September conference, uses weekly data supplied by participating wholesalers during a product's first three months on the market. It identifies gaps in distribution and problems with execution. The accelerator is being extended into a wider pilot, rather than introduced as a network-wide program.
Separately, Unitas has reported results from its One Week Special promotion with Carlsberg Britvic. Launched in March 2026, the promotion increased sales by 312% compared with the preceding six weeks, The Grocer reported on August 17, 2026. Beer sales increased by 367%, while soft drink sales rose by 309%.
Leadership transition
Cooke joined Unitas as chief operating officer about a year before October 2026. He is scheduled to become CEO in January 2027, with Kinney remaining on the senior management team as chairman.
In an October 8, 2026, interview with The Grocer outlining the group's strategy, incoming CEO Cooke said Unitas represented 124 members with collective turnover exceeding £8 billion.
