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The Wholesale Food Distribution Industry in the US Includes About 35,000 Companies and Has Annual Sales Over $600 Billion

Posted on: Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c35739) has announced the addition of Food Distributors - Industry Profile to their offering.

The wholesale food distribution industry in the US includes about 35,000 companies and has annual sales over $600 billion. Large companies include SYSCO, US Foodservice, Supervalu, and Nash Finch. Most companies are small: only 1,200 have annual sales over $50 million and only about 50 over $500 million. The 50 largest distributors hold about 50 percent of the total market.

Industry demand changes due to shifting consumer food tastes, but is limited by the 1 percent annual US population growth. The profitability of individual companies depends on popular products, contracts with large customers, and efficient operations. There are large economies of scale. Smaller companies can compete effectively by specializing in specific products or market niches. Small companies can also be effective in the import of foreign specialties. Large distributors have a cost advantage by buying in quantity, but need to operate a more complicated distribution network.

The industry sells frozen foods, dairy, poultry, fish, meat, fresh produce, baked goods, processed and prepared foods, and related items. Only about 150 large companies deal in a broad line of food products, while the others specialize.

Operations revolve around the logistics of getting food items from thousands of food producers to thousands of customers. Some distributors operate only locally (such as milk distributors). Many distributors receive products from all over the country but distribute only regionally.

This easy-to-use, quarterly industry profile provides you with the industry analysis you need to better understand any particular business. It synthesizes information from hundreds of sources into an easy to digest format, giving you invaluable information about your target market, highlighting critical industry statistics and issues, changes that have taken place since the last quarterly update and key concerns that can have negative or positive impacts on investments. Utilizing the financial and forecasting data while simultaneously learning from educational business overviews can help you and your customers plan more effectively and invest wisely.

These industry reports will educate your sales team on critical industry trends in target markets, empowering them to create more strategic proposals. These industry reports are also essential for professional organizations that want make savvy, educated business decisions

Key topics covered include:

-- Industry Overview

-- Quarterly Industry Update

-- Business Challenges

-- Trends and Opportunities

-- Call Preparation Questions

-- Financial Information

-- Industry Forecast

-- Website and Media Links

-- Glossary of Acronyms

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c35739

Source: Business Wire

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