Soft Drink, Baked Goods & Other Grocery Wholesaling in the US - Industry Research Report

Hit the Shelves: Large Upstream Manufacturers and Downstream Retailers Will Likely Continue Consolidating

The Soft Drink, Baked Goods and Other Grocery Wholesaling industry has grown rapidly. An improving economy and rising consumer confidence have increased industry demand as downstream markets saw increased sales from consumers with more disposable income in their pockets. The industry has grown despite difficult conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which initially produced declines in demand from the food and hospitality industries, but created a temporary surge in grocery sales. Downstream demand has largely normalized since 2021, while rising agricultural and fuel prices have caused industry selling prices to spike. Over the past five years, industry revenue has grown at an average annual rate of 5.4% to $502.7 billion, including growth of 2.6%in 2023 alone. Despite volatile purchasing prices and increased competition from superstores and grocery chains, the average industry profit margin has remained strong, as wholesalers have bolstered margins by passing down costs to downstream markets.

Operators in this industry primarily wholesale specialized grocery products such as soft drinks or baked goods. However, this industry does not wholesale frozen foods, dairy products (except dried or canned), poultry products (except canned), confectionery products, fish and seafood products (except canned), meat products (except canned), alcoholic beverages or fresh fruits and vegetables.

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.