RS has completed the €365 million acquisition of Distrelec, a digitally-focused high-service distributor of industrial, maintenance, repair and MRO products. This step had already been announced on April 27, 2023. Distrelec will be integrated into the group's EMEA region under the leadership of Peter Malpas (President EMEA, RS). Key members of Distrelec's management team include Raj Patel (Managing Director) and Ben Scholey (Chief Information Officer).

Distrelec serves around 180,000 customers in 19 countries, significantly expanding RS's presence in continental Europe, particularly in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, Distrelec employs around 400 people and has 12 sales offices across Europe. In addition, the company operates two distribution centers in Switzerland and the Netherlands and a shared service center in Latvia.