GSF aim to hit £1 billion annual turnover

GSF Car Parts plans to open 20 new branches in 2026 after delivering more than 20% annual growth for three consecutive years. Despite industry challenges, the company says strong legacy branch performance, supply chain investment and a customer-first approach are driving profitable expansion, as it works toward its ambition of becoming the UK’s number one aftermarket distributor with a £1bn turnover target.

Q. GSF plans to open 20 new branches in 2026, following a challenging year for the wider industry and the opening of 27 branches over the past two years – what gives GSF the confidence to accelerate its branch expansion at this pace?

A. We believe our relentless focus on “the customer is king” and “being the easiest to trade with” is the reason GSF has grown more than 20%, year-on-year, for the last three years. We know we have many more locations in the UK that we still can’t provide that great GSF service to because we don’t have a local branch. Every new branch we have opened to date has exceeded its business plan, so this gives us the confidence to continue our momentum.

Q. GSF says it has achieved growth of more than 20% in each of the last three years despite industry pressures – what have been the key drivers behind this?

A. The common misconception is that our 20%-plus growth is from new branches – of course, they are a key driver – however, almost three quarters of that growth is from our legacy branches.

I believe it’s our customer relationships that power growth. Every day, our branches go above and beyond to ensure the customer is king. It’s a competitive market, and we relish that. We always have to remember “we’re only ever as good as our last order”.

We aim to be the easiest supplier to trade with and prioritise availability. We also trust and empower local teams to make decisions. They know what the customer wants and are incredibly motivated to succeed.

Everything at GSF revolves around the customer. You can see that through our ‘DirecTour’ and ‘DirectFloor’ initiatives where we get senior leaders out of the offices and into the network. And just look at how far TechFest has come: in just over 12 months it went from an idea to running our fourth TechFest with 5,000 people joining us last time in Wembley.

Q. With each new branch bringing additional costs, such as premises, utilities and staffing, how is GSF balancing continued investment with maintaining profitability?

A. We invest to fuel profitable growth and will look at all opportunities. GSF has the agility to make decisions and move quickly. We don’t have layers of bureaucracy slowing us down.

Our NDC in Wolverhampton has become fully operational in record time, delivering huge benefits in terms of supply chain efficiencies and availability. Last year we launched a record number of new products, and we increasingly have the scale to fully realise the benefits of global sourcing.

We are and will always drive to be a high service, low-cost operator.

Q. What criteria is GSF using to identify and select locations for new branches?

A. When Sukhpal and I acquired GSF, one of the first tasks we completed was a strategic network review. We built a complex gravity model using internal and external data to identify where the best locations are for GSF to open branches and the size of the opportunity.

Of course, these models are never absolute; they require input from local knowledge. There also must be availability of trade units and the ability to recruit the best colleagues.

Last year we trialled an incredibly successful ‘satellite’ concept that allows GSF to open in locations that otherwise would not be possible. This means we will be able to service even more hard-working IMT customers.

Q. GSF has stated its ambition to be the “employer of choice, offering the best rewards and opportunities for success” – what practical steps is the business taking to achieve this?

A. I want everyone to realise their potential at GSF and be rewarded for success. I’m proud of the culture we’ve built at GSF – our latest employee engagement survey backed this up. We’ve hired 1,500 new colleagues since 2023 and now have more than 4,000 colleagues on our team.

We’ve also committed to raising standards, with over 7,000 hours of training and development completed. Promotions are also commonplace, with a record number of internal promotions across the business.

A combination of fantastic people who have been here a long time and hiring highly motivated individuals makes us “the winning team”.

Q. What milestones or KPIs will GSF use to measure progress toward its goal of becoming the UK’s number one aftermarket distributor?

A. My personal challenge and the milestone I have challenged the business is to grow GSF to a £1 billion annual turnover.

We don’t focus on the competition; we only focus on what we need to achieve. We have so many opportunities and plans to keep growing, one being the re-launch of our Servicesure National garage network. I have every confidence GSF will be the number one aftermarket provider in the UK.

Q. How does GSF’s continued expansion fit into its long-term ownership and investment strategy?

A. We are the fastest-growing European aftermarket provider and will continue to invest heavily to achieve our potential. All our investments are funded from our own cash. Our investors are 100% behind us and trust us to deliver what we promised.

And for anyone wondering, Sukhpal and I are going nowhere.