[6][7] In 1952, Jock Campbell took over the chairmanship of the company and his Fabian social politics transformed it dramatically into a benevolent force providing major benefits for sugar workers.

[13] In November 1996, Booker bought Nurdin & Peacock, taking ownership of the convenience store operator and brand Happy Shopper.

In 2000, the brand's logo of a smiling face with blonde hair was dropped from products and packaging, as part of a redesign by Partners In Communication, a design consultant company.

[18] Baugur sold all its assets in Booker Cash & Carry in June 2008,[19] only weeks after its founder was found guilty of accounting irregularities.

[24] In January 2017, Tesco announced that it had reached an agreement to merge with Booker Group for £3.7 billion, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

[27] Additionally, it has been accused of intentionally stopping deliveries of certain essential products to independent stores, in some cases reducing item selection by up to 30%.

[30] The group consists of several divisions each specialising in different areas of the wholesale market in the United Kingdom: The company also founded, and was previously a sponsor of, the Booker Prize for literary fiction, which was established in 1968.

[9] Chairmen of the Authors' Division have included Charles William Tyrrell (1960s–1970s), Dennis H. Joss (1970s–1980s) and Agatha Christie's grandson Mathew Caradoc Thomas Prichard (1990s–2000s).