Every independent retailer weighing up a new wholesale supplier asks the same first question: how much do I have to spend to place an order? The honest answer is more complicated than the headline "minimum order" figure, because the number that really governs the cost of buying is often the free-delivery threshold, not the minimum order quantity (MOQ). This 2026 index sets out what five UK household and FMCG wholesalers actually require, using each company's own publicly stated figures, so you can compare the true entry cost rather than the marketing line.
We have included our own numbers in full, including the one that does not flatter us. Northern Marketing's free-delivery threshold is the highest in this set, and you will find it stated plainly below. A comparison is only worth reading if it is honest about the person who wrote it.
Methodology
All figures were taken from the five companies' public websites and published FAQs in July 2026. Where a company states a figure, we use it exactly. Where a company does not publish a figure, we mark it "not stated" rather than estimate. Minimum order values and delivery thresholds are quoted in the units each supplier uses (some ex VAT, some plus VAT), and we note the basis in the table. This is a point-in-time snapshot: thresholds change, so treat it as a guide and confirm the current figure with each supplier before ordering.
Minimum order quantity: the headline number
The stated minimum order is the amount you must spend before a supplier will accept an order at all. In this set, the figures range from a low structured minimum to no minimum whatsoever.
| Wholesaler | Stated minimum order |
|---|---|
| MX Wholesale | None |
| Pound Wholesale | None |
| Harrisons Direct | None |
| Northern Marketing | £250 + VAT |
| Rayburn Trading | £1,600 ex VAT, rising to £2,500 for parts of Scotland, London and the South (per Rayburn's public FAQ) |
On this measure alone the market splits three ways. Three of the five (MX, Pound and Harrisons) advertise no minimum order at all. Northern Marketing sits in the middle with a low £250 + VAT minimum. Rayburn Trading sits far out on its own, requiring £1,600 ex VAT before it will trade, and up to £2,500 depending on delivery region. For a small independent, that is the difference between testing a supplier with a single pallet and having to commit the best part of a month's stock budget up front.
The number that actually governs cost: free delivery
Here is the catch with "no minimum order". A wholesaler with no MOQ will still charge you carriage on a small order, and carriage on a part-pallet can quietly wipe out the margin on the goods. The figure that really decides whether small-order buying is affordable is the free-delivery threshold: the order value at which delivery stops costing you extra.
| Wholesaler | Free-delivery threshold |
|---|---|
| MX Wholesale | £200 (next day), rising to £550 on some delivery zones |
| Harrisons Direct | £200 exc VAT (next working day) |
| Pound Wholesale | £499 |
| Northern Marketing | £750 + VAT |
| Rayburn Trading | Not stated publicly |
Read the two tables together and the picture changes. A "no minimum" supplier with a £499 free-delivery threshold is, in practice, asking you to spend close to £500 to order without a carriage penalty. The effective cost of entry is not zero; it is the delivery threshold. On that basis the genuinely low-commitment options are the ones with both a modest minimum and a modest threshold, and the "no minimum" label on its own tells you very little.
Our own weak number, stated plainly
Northern Marketing's free-delivery threshold is £750 + VAT. That is the highest in this index, and higher than we would like. We are working on it. What sits behind that number is a choice we have made to run our own delivery fleet rather than hand your order to a third-party carrier, which gives us control over how and when goods arrive but sets our free-delivery bar higher than rivals who outsource. In exchange, our minimum order is one of the lowest in the market at £250 + VAT, our trade accounts open quickly, and our service is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot, the highest displayed review score of any company in this comparison. On price, our aim is to match the largest wholesalers in the market while holding that much lower minimum, so a small buyer is not paying a premium per case for the privilege of ordering in smaller quantities. We would rather show you the whole picture, including the part that is not our strongest, than quietly leave it out.
Trust and transparency: the numbers behind the numbers
Two further public figures matter when you are judging a supplier you have not used before: whether they show an independent review score, and whether they let you see prices before you open an account.
| Wholesaler | Displayed review score | Prices visible without login |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Marketing | Trustpilot 4.9/5 | No |
| Harrisons Direct | Feefo 4.8/5 | No |
| Pound Wholesale | None shown | No |
| MX Wholesale | None shown | Yes |
| Rayburn Trading | None shown | No |
Only one of the five, MX Wholesale, publishes prices without a login, which is genuinely useful if you are comparing costs before committing. It is worth remembering, though, that showing prices openly is not the same as having the lowest prices: transparency helps you compare, but the comparison still has to be made line by line on the numbers that matter to your range. On independent reviews, only two of the five display a score at all, and Northern Marketing's 4.9 out of 5 is the highest shown.
What rising thresholds mean for independents
The direction of travel across the sector is towards higher free-delivery thresholds, and that quietly squeezes the smallest buyers hardest. When the bar to free delivery climbs, a small shop has two poor choices: over-order to clear the threshold, which ties up cash in stock that sells slowly, or order little and often and absorb carriage, which erodes already thin margins. Neither is good for a single-site independent trying to keep a tight, fast-selling range.
It also changes what "cheap to start with" really means. A headline of "no minimum order" reads well, but if the free-delivery threshold behind it is £499 or £550, the practical entry cost is far closer to that figure than to zero. The most useful thing a new buyer can do is ignore the marketing line and add up the real cost of a typical order, including carriage, at the volumes they actually buy.
Our own view, as one of the five, is that the fairest structure for a growing independent is a low minimum that lets you test a supplier cheaply, paired with a delivery model that is honest about its costs. We hold the low minimum at £250 + VAT. We are open that our free-delivery threshold is the highest here, and we would rather earn your order on range, own brands and service than hide the number.
Buy from a low £250 minimum
Northern Marketing supplies independent retailers, discounters and online sellers from a low £250 + VAT minimum order, with pricing that competes with the largest wholesalers, plus 600+ lines and ten own brands held in our own Nelson warehouse. See our low minimum order wholesale page for how £250 trade buying works, read our plain-English guide to minimum order quantities, browse our best sellers, or open a trade account to see live trade prices.
Figures in this index are taken from each company's public website and FAQs, July 2026, and may change. Confirm current minimums and thresholds with each supplier before ordering.
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