UK Distribution And Delivery Sector Pays Suppliers Better Than Average, But Huge Disparities Persist

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 219
• Average PaymentCheck Score: 60.7/100
• UK average: 50.0/100
• Difference vs UK average: +10.7 points
• Top PaymentCheck Score: 100/100 (FORELAND SHIPPING LIMITED)
• Lowest PaymentCheck Score: 21.9/100 (H.J. HEINZ FOODS UK LIMITED)
• Northern Ireland Average: 68.0/100 (4 companies)
• London Average: 67.5/100 (39 companies)

What Stands Out

The distribution and delivery sector is clearly outperforming the UK average when it comes to payment practices. But while the average PaymentCheck score of 60.7 suggests a healthier payment environment than the UK average of 50.0, the huge gulf between the best and worst payers indicates severe inconsistency; there are clearly haves and have-nots amongst suppliers to the sector's biggest players. A small sample size of four companies in Northern Ireland skews the average high here, but London's healthy average is far more credible with a sample of thirty-nine businesses.

Best Payers

1. FORELAND SHIPPING LIMITED - 100/100
2. BURLINGTOWN UK LIMITED - 99.4/100
3. PIONEER SHIPPING LIMITED - 99/100
4. SEACO GLOBAL LIMITED - 98.4/100
5. SK ENERGY EUROPE LIMITED - 98.3/100

Worst Payers

1. H.J. HEINZ FOODS UK LIMITED - 21.9/100
2. BAKKAVOR FOODS LIMITED - 22.3/100
3. PPG ARCHITECTURAL COATINGS UK LIMITED - 22.8/100
4. JIGSAW FOODS LIMITED - 25.4/100
5. BIRDS EYE LIMITED - 25.8/100

Regional Patterns

It's worth noting that Northern Ireland appears to be the best-paying region, with an average score of 68.0. However, the incredibly small sample size of only four companies diminishes the reliability of this statistic, so we can't read too much into it. With a much larger sample size (39 companies), London's 67.5 average is much more substantial - these companies appear to be prioritising their supplier relationships.

Suppliers might want to calculate the potential cost of late payments using a late payment calculator.

Although the sector's average PaymentCheck score is 10.7 points higher than the UK average, the bottom five companies' scores are less than half of that, showcasing a real problem for suppliers to these businesses.

2025: The Story

The Distribution and Delivery sector experienced a marginal slip in payment performance in 2025, with the average score declining by 0.2 points to 60.7, signaling a slight increase in payment risk overall.

However, beneath this slight dip, specific sub-sectors saw significant shifts. Notably, the maritime and heavy logistics segment showed strong improvement, with P&O Ferries Limited making a remarkable jump of +35.0 points to 86.6, closely followed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Limited improving by +29.7 points to 71.9, and BP Shipping Limited rising +26.3 points to 91.5. This suggests concerted efforts in larger-scale transportation.

In contrast, parts of the food distribution chain struggled, with Weetabix Limited seeing a -5.6 point decline to 45.6, matched by Beckett's Foods Limited (-5.6 points to 48.4) and Forza Foods Limited (-5.6 points to 50.1). The significant number of companies leaving the data (61) and new high-scorer Yodel Delivery Network (89.6) also highlight a dynamic, consolidating market. Suppliers must now closely track payment health within their specific logistical niches.