Chill Brands Group (LSE:CHLL) has launched its Chill Connect wholesale distribution platform with more than 2,000 retailer accounts onboarded to date.
The platform enables UK convenience retailers to purchase tobacco alternatives, vaping products, pouches, beverages, confectionery and other fast-moving consumer goods through a dedicated wholesale channel, the company said.
The launch follows a fundamental repositioning of the business from a brand-led consumer goods model to a distribution-first platform, a shift the board believes provides a durable and scalable operational foundation.
Management is adopting a measured rollout and will continue to invite retailers from its wider network while prioritising conversion of those accounts into consistent ordering and ensuring inventory availability and service capacity match demand.
Retailer feedback highlights an appetite to consolidate sourcing with a single trusted supplier, and the board regards expansion across beverages, confectionery, sundries and adjacent lines as a priority commercial opportunity.
The board says the platform extends commercial reach by allowing partners to place orders at any time without direct field representative input, reduces reliance on physical cash handling and creates a scalable order-management infrastructure for the field sales team.
The board is also in early-stage discussions on potential partnerships, investments and transactions, including extending the company's digital platform portfolio disclosed on 23 April.
