07 September 2026
An independent electrical and kitchen buying group is marking 25 years in business this September, celebrating a quarter-century of helping independent retailers compete through collective strength while retaining their independence.
Sirius Buying Group will celebrate the milestone at its annual Trade Show on Wednesday 16th September 2026 at the Arena MK in Milton Keynes, bringing together its membership and network of Approved Suppliers for one of the Group's most significant dates in a quarter of a century.
Founded in 2001 when four independents decided they would do better together than apart, Sirius now numbers more than 170 Members, eight of whom joined this year. Members retain their own name, local reputation and way of trading whilst accessing collective buying power and support services.
For independent retailers, the Trade Show's practical value is significant. A show floor of Approved Suppliers in one place on one day saves weeks of diary management. Decisions that would otherwise be strung out over emails and phone calls get made in an afternoon, with pricing attached to them existing only for the event.
The Group's proposition has widened considerably over 25 years and now extends well beyond buying terms alone. Alongside access to carefully curated networks of appliance and kitchen suppliers sit Approved Service Providers covering merchant services, business insurance, waste removal, utilities, telecoms, extended warranties and shopfitting, each negotiated to reduce the cost of running a shop rather than simply stocking one.
The Group's partnership with the British Independent Retailers Association added another layer, with qualifying Members automatically enrolled into combined Sirius and Bira membership. This brings legal and HR support, vehicle finance, business rates and lease reviews, business breakdown cover, workplace pensions and consumer finance within reach of businesses that would struggle to negotiate alone.
Technology also forms part of the offer, including a Product Information Management system that saves Members hours of work loading products onto their own websites, and a rebate portal that removes guesswork over achievement tracking.
The anniversary will be marked at the Gala Dinner that evening, where the Group thanks its Approved Suppliers and holds its annual charity auction. This year the auction raises funds for OCHRE, the Oesophageal Cancer Charity, selected following the diagnosis of long-standing Member John Wardman of Domestic Supplies in Mansfield with early-stage oesophageal cancer. Mr Wardman's decision to pursue his symptoms rather than manage them with over-the-counter medication led to his early diagnosis.
Sirius and its network have raised well over £200,000 for good causes since the Group was founded.
Mark Veysey, Operations Director at Sirius Buying Group, said: "Twenty-five years is worth marking properly, and we wanted to do it with the Members and Suppliers who got us here. What I'm most proud of is how much the proposition has grown in that time. Between our Approved Suppliers, our Service Providers and the Bira partnership, there is very little a Member has to sort out on their own now, and they do all of it while keeping their independence."
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