HT Drinks buys GTR firm Compass Supply Solutions, placing former Majestic COO at the helm
As part of wholesaler HT Drinks’ acquisition of global travel retail company Compass Supply Solutions (CSS), former Majestic chief operating officer Rob Cooke has been named as CSS managing director.
Played a pivotal role
Cooke, who was a former Tesco BWS category director and was awarded The Drinks Business Man of the Year 2020, has played a pivotal role in Majestic’s turnaround and has previously been heralded for spearheading the growth of Majestic’s commercial on-trade and national accounts prior to being poached by CSS.
The acquisition of Fareham-based GTR firm CSS by HT Drinks is purported to further strengthen the group’s focus on International growth and assist in leveraging brand partnerships and boost operational efficiencies while re-positioning as a catalyst for the supply of specialist food and drinks to cruise lines, airlines, airside consolidators, terminal concessions and duty free.
A multichannel drinks business
Speaking about the deal, the HT Group board said: “The acquisition of CSS is a further commitment in our ambition to be a truly integrated, multichannel drinks business. We are effectively providing our brand partners with an insightful and transparent closed-loop route to market that covers the on-trade, off-trade, direct to consumer, online marketplaces, gifting and in-house planning and marketing services with our agency business.”
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In his new role, Cooke will be responsible for building and shaping the company by assessing how the GTR sector is evolving, taking into account its need to drive ancillary revenue streams and redefine the passenger experience as well as meet sustainability targets..
Growth plan
Cooke explained: “As part of the HT Drinks Group, CSS will leverage internal resources and infrastructure capability to implement a resilient and sustainable growth plan that includes expanding our geographical reach, broader category development, investment in technology and supply chains and crucially, working with brand partners on core GTR ranging and NPD.”
He added: ”We recognise more than ever the need to connect passenger trends and their consumption needs with an ethically responsible and diverse portfolio of drinks and food, as we effectively transition to becoming a vital infrastructure partner to our clients that is far more than a product or service.”
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