100 jobs on way as Sheffield wholesaler takes on giant warehouse

Pricecheck has taken a five-year lease on the former Maplin headquarters in Manvers, Rotherham, doubling capacity.

It is spending £750,000 fitting out the premises, to give the company, which has another site at Old Colliery Way, Beighton, space for 32,000 pallets.

Pricecheck sells more than 6,000 toiletries, food and drink and household products, and exports to 82 countries.

A spokeswoman said: “We envisage the investment creating 100 new roles within the next three years. This will be across all departments and sites as the new warehouse helps to drive growth throughout the business.”

Mark Lythe, joint managing director (operations and finance), said they were confident long-term despite coronavirus.

He added: “We have ambitious growth targets and will continue to invest in all areas of the business to ensure we remain on track to achieve those.

“The expansion of our warehouse capacity is in line with our strategic plans for the next five years as we target a turnover of £200m by 2025. Despite the challenges of coronavirus, we remain very confident about the long-term prospects for our business.”

In accounts dated April 30 2019 the company had £81.6m turnover, 155 people and profit after tax of £3.4m. Wages were £5.4m including £856,000 to the directors, with the highest paid receiving £221,000.

The accounts also state the company was challenging a £3.4m claim by HMRC over an employee bonus scheme known as a ‘growth securities ownership plan’.

Auditors were Grant Thornton, bankers were Bank of Scotland and solicitors were DLA Piper.

Pricecheck is set to install a warehouse management system within the next six months.

Established in 1978, it is a second-generation, family-owned business, now run by brother and sister Mark Lythe and Debbie Harrison.

Pricecheck has received Sunday Times Profit Track Awards (2019 & 2020), and International Track Awards (2020, 2019 & 2018), The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade (2015), the Sheffield Business Award for Export (2016) and High Growth Business of the Year (2017). In 2018 and 2019, its was included in the London Stock Exchange Group's annual ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report.

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