Gitnux/Report 2026

Broker Food Industry Statistics

The U.S. food-broker market handled $281.1 billion in 2022, explore the broker food figures on growth, companies and trends.
287Statistics
84Sources
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November 11, 2026Updated
Broker Food Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The broker food industry at a glance

The U.S. food-broker segment operated in a fragmented wholesale-agency market where grocery and related-product agents and brokers generated $281.1 billion in 2022 sales across 4,137 establishments. Agents and brokers represented 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales in 2022, unchanged from 2017, with typical broker commissions of 5% to 8%.

$281.1B[54]
Grocery broker sales, 2022
4,137[54]
Grocery broker establishments, 2022
18%[8]
Agents’ wholesale-sales share, 2022
5%–8%[40]
Typical broker commission
Market size
In the 2022 Economic Census, U.S. grocery and related-product agents and brokers recorded $281.1 billion in sales and operated 4,137 establishments. The broader wholesale-trade agents-and-brokers industry recorded $785.9 billion in revenue across 34,219 establishments.[54]
Market share & regions
Agents and brokers represented 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales in 2022, unchanged from 2017. The available national data does not provide a reliable regional market-share breakdown specifically for food brokers.[8]
Segmentation
Food brokers are classified within NAICS 425120, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers, which covers intermediaries arranging wholesale transactions without taking title to goods. Food-broker activity is included in the grocery and related-products category, alongside other nondurable-goods agents and brokers.[77]
Key players & concentration
Reliable public concentration figures for food brokers specifically were not identified. The broader intermediary market is structurally fragmented: the 2022 Census counted 34,219 wholesale-trade agent and broker establishments, while the grocery and related-products subset alone contained 4,137 establishments.[54]
Pricing
Food brokers commonly work on commission rather than by taking ownership of inventory. Oklahoma State University Extension reports typical commissions of 5% to 8% of the invoice amount, with the rate varying by product and service scope.[40]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The sector benefits from manufacturers outsourcing retail and foodservice sales coverage, while digital ordering and electronic marketplaces expand how buyers and sellers connect. Brokers face pressure from direct manufacturer sales, retailer consolidation and the need to demonstrate measurable account-level results; no reliable current industry-wide growth figure was identified.[77][8]
Consumer behavior & competition
Food brokers generally compete for manufacturer mandates by offering retailer access, category expertise and sales execution rather than by selling directly to consumers. In the wider U.S. grocery wholesale system, general-line distributors accounted for 21% of grocery wholesale sales in 2022, while manufacturing sales branches and offices accounted for 27%, creating competition from both distributors and manufacturers’ direct sales organizations.[8]
Regulation
Food brokers are generally regulated under the wholesale-trade-agent framework rather than as inventory-owning wholesalers. NAICS 425120 defines agents and brokers as intermediaries that do not take title to goods and receive a commission or fee; the SBA’s size standard for the classification is 125 employees.[77][78]

02 Ranking

Top 9 Companies in the Broker Food Industry

The leading companies in the broker food industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Acosta Group stands out for retail and foodservice sales coverage because it operates retail sales and CORE, a leading foodservice agency, while Crossmark focuses on or leads in food broker services for consumer packaged goods brands in North America since it is a major U.S. sales and marketing agency providing food broker services.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in food sales brokerage

    Acosta Group

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.8 · Food sales brokerage

    Why we picked it: It operates retail sales and a foodservice agency, aligning coverage across retail and foodservice mandates.

    See in ranking ↓Visit acosta.group ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Crossmark

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Food sales brokerage

    Why we picked it: It provides brokered sales and marketing services focused on consumer packaged goods brands.

    See in ranking ↓Visit crossmark.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    C.A. Fortune

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.5 · Food sales brokerage

    Why we picked it: It connects brands with retail decision-makers across the U.S. through national CPG retail brokerage.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cafortune.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 9 companies in the broker food industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Acosta Group

Food sales brokerage · US

9.8
2

Crossmark

Food sales brokerage · US

8.9
3

C.A. Fortune

Food sales brokerage · US

8.5
4

Mueller Yurgae Associates

Food sales brokerage · US

8.5
5

Presenture

Food sales brokerage · US

8.2
6

BBI

National grocery and food brokerage · US

8.2
7

PRESENCE

Natural and organic food brokerage · US

8.1
8

United Sales & Services

Retail and foodservice brokerage, Southwest U.S. · US

7.8
9

Worldpac

Food broker and brokerage, Mid-Atlantic · US

7.6

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 9 companies in the broker food industry. In Broker Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/broker-food-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Regional coverage models shifted from about 50 local-market areas toward 10–20 regional territories in 2015. Retail-execution software was used to protect more than $1 million in on-shelf inventory value in 2020.

Automation in the broker food industry

  • 10–20 regional food-broker territories were replacing the roughly 50 local-market areas commonly used by manufacturers, according to a foodservice-industry overview published in 2015.[1]
  • $1 million or more in on-shelf inventory value was protected for a food broker’s customers after the broker used retail-execution software to improve out-of-stock resolution in 2020.[2]
  • 2,500-plus Kroger stores were covered by the retail teams of Empire Marketing Strategies, a major U.S. food brokerage agency, in 2020.[2]
  • 25% more out-of-stock closures were achieved by a major U.S. food broker after nine months using retail-execution software, protecting more than $1 million in on-shelf inventory value in 2020.[2]

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[3]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[4]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[4]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[4]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[4]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[5]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[5]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[5]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[5]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[5]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[5]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[4]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[6]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[6]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[4]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[4]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[5]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[4]

IoT in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 24% used Internet of Things technologies in 2024, up from 10% in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU farms with livestock, about 11% used animal-welfare or health-monitoring systems in 2023.[5]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 10% used Internet of Things technologies in 2023.[4]
  • Among agri-food companies investing more than 30% of annual turnover in digital technologies, 5.41% prioritised Internet of Things technologies in 2024.[4]

Innovation in the broker food industry

  • 1 in 3 products sold in Western Canada was represented by food brokers, which provided marketing, category-management and technology-enabled services, according to a USDA report.[7]
  • 50% fewer brokerage houses operated in Canada after a decade of consolidation, according to a USDA overview of the institutional foodservice market.[7]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Agents and brokers accounted for 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales in 2022, and analytics is used across pricing, promotion, assortment and replenishment decisions. One cited food-retail out-of-stock rate was 6.5% in 2023.

Business intelligence in the broker food industry

  • 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales came through agents and brokers in 2022, according to USDA analysis of Economic Census data.[8]
  • 25% of products sold in Canadian supermarkets were estimated to be broker-sold in the Alberta food-broker market guide.[9]
  • 5% to 15% was the usual negotiated commission range paid by manufacturers to Alberta food brokers, depending on volume and services.[9]
  • 225 members were listed by the Canadian Food Brokers Association in a historical Canadian industry assessment.[10]
  • 3% was the average food-broker commission on free-on-board prices in the Canadian processed-fruit-and-vegetable industry assessment.[10]
  • 100 employees was the reported upper size of some national brokerage organizations in the Canadian food-broker industry assessment.[10]

Data analytics in the broker food industry

  • 6.5% was the reported food-retail out-of-stock rate in 2023 after data analytics was used for pricing, promotion, assortment and replenishment decisions.[11]
  • 69% of food suppliers reported using artificial intelligence in the 2023 FMI food-industry research, including applications relevant to brokered brands.[11]
  • 1 data-analytics and AI platform was described by Bay Food Brokerage as helping determine why a retailer should carry a particular product.[12]
  • 40% of food retailers used fresh-food inventory, demand and production-planning technology in the cited 2023 research, up from 20% the previous year.[13]
  • 1 food broker, Bay Food Brokerage, invested in a data-analytics and artificial-intelligence platform during 2023 to interpret retail and client data.[12]
  • 94% of food suppliers reported using data analytics in the 2023 FMI food-industry research, a population that includes companies served by food brokers.[11]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[14]
  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[15]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[14]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[15]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[14]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[16]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[16]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[17]
  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[14]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[14]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[16]

KPIs in the broker food industry

  • 96% of food-and-beverage shippers said logistics KPIs were essential to management in the cited survey, a measurement environment relevant to food brokers’ supply-chain customers.[18]
  • 1 food broker, BBI, reported investing in multiple data-system platforms to provide client KPIs across business channels.[19]
  • 1 food broker, Bay Food Brokerage, reported using real-time store photos, distribution confirmation and survey responses for client reports.[12]
  • 4 to 8 weeks was the stated store-call interval for rural locations in Alberta’s food-broker operating guide.[9]
  • 44% of food-and-beverage shippers identified using data to change tactics as a top challenge.[18]
  • 97% of food-and-beverage shippers said on-time-in-full requirements had affected procurement strategy.[18]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Broker platforms scale through multi-state coverage and full-service representation; a large full-service broker is defined at more than $200 million in represented gross sales. Mueller Yurgae Associates reports more than 250 employees across 22 states.

Growth in the broker food industry

  • More than $200 million in represented gross sales defines a large full-service food broker in the USDA classification.[7]
  • 250-plus employees operate across 22 states for Mueller Yurgae Associates, a U.S. food brokerage firm.[20]
  • 30-plus years in business have enabled Bay Food Brokerage to build relationships with major Southeast retailers and distributors.[12]
  • 160-plus Fresh Market locations across 22 states are included in Mana Foods’ retail network.[21]
  • $50 million to $150 million is the typical represented-sales range for a medium-sized full-service food broker in a USDA broker survey.[7]
  • More than 250 employees and 22 states form Mueller Yurgae Associates’ stated national-scale operating platform.[20]

Differentiation in the broker food industry

  • 22 states and five named retail channels give Mueller Yurgae Associates a regional-plus-national coverage model.[20]
  • More than 25 states are served by Om Produce, whose customer focus includes South Asian and Asian markets.[22]
  • 60,000 square feet is the size of Om Produce’s operating facility in Irving, Texas.[22]
  • More than 30 years of Southeast retail relationships differentiate Bay Food Brokerage’s service proposition.[12]

Mergers and acquisitions in the broker food industry

  • One existing specialty-food brokerage was acquired when Chandler Food Sales entered the specialty brokerage business in 1978.[23]
  • Four named acquisitions—Greenberg Fruit Company, Panama, Leonardo’s Produce and Indianapolis Fruit—were listed for FreshEdge in a 2024 M&A review.[24]
  • Three regional food-sales agencies—Hughes Sales, Madden Global Solutions and JP Food Sales—merged with A.J. Letizio Sales & Marketing in 2025.[25]
  • One inaugural acquisition, City Line Distributors, launched Navis Food Partners’ independent foodservice-distribution platform in 2023.[26]
  • One acquisition of BIX Produce in 2023 added a specialty and fresh-cut distributor to Sysco’s food-distribution portfolio.[24]
  • Two produce distributors—Hardie’s Fresh Foods and Greenleaf Produce & Specialty Foods—were acquired by The Chefs’ Warehouse in 2023.[24]

Strategic partnerships in the broker food industry

  • Since 2023, Bay Food Brokerage has partnered with Belgian Boys to expand refrigerated breakfast products across the Southeast.[12]
  • $425 million was the size of Forward Consumer Partners’ Fund I backing its 2024 partnership with Xochitl.[27]
  • One strategic partnership with Tiff’s Treats was advised by Solomon Partners for Baked by Melissa in December 2022.[28]
  • One partnership with Paine Schwartz Partners supported Chex Finer Foods’ acquisition of Gourmet International in April 2026.[23]
  • 50% of Xochitl was acquired by Forward Consumer Partners in a 2024 partnership, while the founder and CEO retained the other 50%.[27]
  • Since summer 2022, Bay Food Brokerage has served as The Good Crisp Company’s Publix broker.[12]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Coverage work is labor-intensive: Oklahoma State University guidance expects about 80% of an account executive’s weekly time devoted to specific product lines. It also cites 25%–50% of smaller portfolios needing attention across multiple product lines.

Hiring in the broker food industry

  • 6 employees worked at a food brokerage business offered for sale in Oregon in 2026.[29]
  • 11–50 employees were reported for Amalgamated Food Brokerage in Tempe, Arizona.[30]
  • 1–5 employees were reported for J&D Food Brokerage LLC in Edison, New Jersey.[31]
  • 8 states are served by Bay Food Brokerage’s employees working from two offices and remote locations across the Southeast U.S.[12]
  • 200 sales and administrative personnel worked for Bradshaw Incorporated in Northern California in 1986, according to a historical company profile.[32]

Employee retention in the broker food industry

  • 45 years of service was reported for one High Liner Foods vice president, although High Liner Foods is a food company rather than a food broker and is included only as a company-specific workforce reference.[33]
  • 50% of Coast to Coast Food Brokers LLC employees had been with the company for more than 11 years.[34]
  • 30-plus years is the operating history reported by Bay Food Brokerage, which describes its business as family-owned and focused on long-term employee relationships.[12]
  • 25% of Coast to Coast Food Brokers LLC employees had tenure of eight to 10 years.[34]
  • 25% of Coast to Coast Food Brokers LLC employees had tenure of three to four years.[34]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[35]
  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[36]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[37]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[37]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed globally in 2024, respondents averaged 2.1 work-at-home days per week.[38]
  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[36]
  • 13% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred full-time on-site work in 2024.[39]
  • 33% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working in hybrid arrangements in 2024.[39]
  • Across employers discussed in a food-industry hybrid-work survey, about 90% had adopted some form of hybrid work, although the figure was not limited to agriculture and food production.[38]

Upskilling in the broker food industry

  • 2 offices and remote retail representatives support Bay Food Brokerage’s workforce across eight states, indicating a distributed operating model for employee development and coverage.[12]
  • 6 months of compensated training support was offered by the owner of a food brokerage business to the buyer after its 2026 sale listing.[29]
  • 80% of an account executive’s weekly time is generally expected to be devoted to the specific product lines represented for a manufacturer, according to Oklahoma State University guidance on food brokers.[40]
  • 4–5 smaller product lines may be represented by one food broker, creating a stated need for employees to manage multiple product portfolios.[40]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[41]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[42]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[42]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[42]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[42]

DEI in the broker food industry

  • 3.7 out of 5 was Empire Food Brokers’ employee-reported DEI rating based on seven anonymous Glassdoor ratings.[43]
  • More than 50% of Bay Food Brokerage’s team was described as female in a 2026 company-related post.[44]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Food brokers commonly present products before orders are placed; the typical period is 30 to 60 days before orders are placed. Commission and lead effects are frequently tracked, including 5% to 8% typical commission levels.

Customer experience in the broker food industry

  • 20% of U.S. foodservice operators reported ordering from more distributors online than a year earlier in 2021.[45]
  • 20% of U.S. foodservice operators making online purchases primarily sought product and packaging images in 2021.[45]
  • 30% of U.S. foodservice operators reported doing more comparison shopping online when online ordering was available in 2021.[45]
  • 24% of U.S. foodservice operators reported shopping more online than a year earlier in 2021.[45]
  • 32% of U.S. foodservice operators making online purchases primarily sought price information in 2021.[45]

Customer retention in the broker food industry

  • 30 to 60 days was the typical period required for a food broker to present a product to buyers before orders were placed, according to Oklahoma State University.[40]
  • 80% of an account executive’s weekly time was typically devoted to specific national or regional manufacturer lines in established food broker arrangements.[40]
  • 5% to 8% was the typical commission paid to U.S. food brokers on each order received and shipped during a calendar month, according to Oklahoma State University guidance.[40]
  • 20 to 30 manufacturers were typically represented by a food brokerage company, according to Oklahoma State University.[40]
  • 2 to 4 manufacturers were typically assigned additional attention by a food broker because of their revenue potential, according to Oklahoma State University.[40]

Customer acquisition in the broker food industry

  • 18% of U.S. wholesale food sales were represented by agents and brokers in 2022, unchanged from 2017.[8]
  • 3% to 6% was the reported sales-revenue percentage charged by Canadian food brokers for foodservice representation.[46]
  • 25,000 to 50,000 U.S. foodservice operators were estimated to be covered by a combined manufacturer sales team and broker network in 2026.[47]
  • $300 to $400 was the estimated cost of one in-person foodservice operator sales visit in 2026.[47]
  • 3% to 5% was the typical commission paid to food brokers by food companies in a U.S. public-company filing.[48]

Customer loyalty in the broker food industry

  • One-third of U.S. foodservice operators identified a foodservice broker representative as their leading source for product, menu-concept and recipe information in 2021.[45]
  • 51% of U.S. foodservice operators reported that their online shopping behavior had not changed compared with the prior year in 2021.[45]

Lead generation in the broker food industry

  • 77% of brands using brokers reported that franchise-broker leads resulted in a sale during the prior 12 months in the 2025 survey.[49]
  • $48,903 was the average cost per broker-generated sale reported in the 2025 franchise-development survey.[49]
  • 250 portal leads were estimated to produce one franchise sale in 2022, based on the cited 0.4% portal conversion rate.[49]
  • 44% of brands in the 2025 franchise-development survey used brokers as part of their recruitment strategy.[49]
  • 20 broker-generated leads were estimated to produce one franchise sale in 2022, based on FranConnect client data.[49]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Trade events are a major channel for suppliers and brokers, with 96% of Fine Food Australia exhibitors saying exhibiting was important in 2024. Social reach reporting shows 403,700 total social-media reach from May through September 2024.

Marketing in the broker food industry

  • 26.8% was the increase in inflation-adjusted U.S. grocery and related-product merchant-wholesaler sales between 2002 and 2023.[8]
  • 2.84% was the decline in inflation-adjusted U.S. grocery and related-product merchant-wholesaler sales in 2023.[8]
  • $616,330 was the average sales value exhibitors expected to generate as a result of exhibiting at Fine Food Australia in 2024.[50]
  • 96% of Fine Food Australia exhibitors considered exhibiting important to their business in 2024, making trade events a major marketing channel for food-industry suppliers and brokers.[50]
  • $1.364 trillion was the inflation-adjusted value of U.S. grocery and related-product merchant-wholesaler sales in 2023, measured in 2025 dollars.[8]

Digital marketing in the broker food industry

  • 16,900 Facebook followers were recorded by Fine Food Australia in 2024, up 5% from September 30, 2023.[50]
  • 5,600 LinkedIn followers were recorded by Fine Food Australia in 2024, up 46% from September 30, 2023.[50]
  • 10,900 Instagram followers were recorded by Fine Food Australia in 2024, up 32% from September 30, 2023.[50]
  • Website visits to Fine Food Australia increased 5% versus 2023 during the May–September 2024 reporting period.[50]
  • 403,700 total social-media reach was generated by Fine Food Australia from May through September 2024.[50]

Branding in the broker food industry

  • 1990 was the founding year of Glenmoor Brokerage, a food brokerage serving grocery retail in the U.S. Southwest.[51]
  • Since 2019, Foodbroker has been owned by Fabfood AB and has expanded in the fresh ready-to-eat segment.[52]
  • 30+ years was Glenmoor Brokerage’s stated operating history as a sales and marketing food-brokerage company when its profile was published.[51]
  • Over 30 national food manufacturers were represented by Glenmoor Brokerage across Arizona, California and the U.S. Southwest.[51]
  • 15+ years was the period over which many Glenmoor Brokerage represented brands achieved double-digit sales-growth increases.[51]

Social media in the broker food industry

  • 10.9 thousand Instagram followers were reported by Fine Food Australia in 2024, with growth of 32% since September 30, 2023.[50]
  • 47% of Fine Food Australia’s 2024 audience came from foodservice and hospitality businesses that are potential customers for brokered food brands.[50]
  • 403.7 thousand combined social-media reach was reported by Fine Food Australia during May–September 2024.[50]
  • 5.6 thousand LinkedIn followers were reported by Fine Food Australia in 2024, with growth of 46% since September 30, 2023.[50]
  • 22% of Fine Food Australia’s 2024 audience came from general-food organizations, including food brokers, associations, agencies, consultants, manufacturers and marketing companies.[50]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[53]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[53]
  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[53]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[53]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[53]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational scale shows in the 2022 Census: 4,137 grocery and related-products agent-and-broker establishments generated $281.1 billion in sales. Typical commission ranges cited include 5% to 10% for services such as order management and merchandising management.

Process optimization in the broker food industry

  • $19.0 billion was the 2022 value of sales made on own account by U.S. grocery and related products agents and brokers.[54]
  • 4,137 U.S. grocery and related products agent-and-broker establishments generated $281.1 billion in sales, shipments or revenue in 2022.[54]
  • 5% to 10% of net sales is the typical food-broker commission range cited for services including order management, sales forecasting and merchandising management in the United States.[55]
  • More than 250 employees at Mueller Yurgae Associates operate across 22 U.S. states, supporting its food-brokerage execution model.[20]

Operational efficiency in the broker food industry

  • 34,219 U.S. wholesale trade agent-and-broker establishments generated $785.9 billion in sales, shipments or revenue in 2022.[54]
  • More than 20 team members cover Horizon Food Brokers’ Southeast region, including sales, marketing, warehouse management, finance and corporate-affairs functions.[56]
  • 12,228 U.S. nondurable-goods agent-and-broker establishments generated $403.2 billion in sales, shipments or revenue in 2022.[54]
  • 4,137 U.S. grocery and related products agent-and-broker establishments represented the largest nondurable-goods subcategory shown in the 2022 Census table.[54]

Quality management in the broker food industry

  • 50% of Canadian grocery-dollar sales were estimated to be handled by food brokers in the cited Canadian government industry report.[10]
  • 225 members were listed by the Canadian Food Brokers Association in the cited report, which also estimated a similar number of non-members.[10]
  • 1 audit standard, IFS Broker, is designed specifically for companies trading food, household and personal-care products or packaging materials and is assessed by qualified independent auditors.[57]
  • 75% of U.S. grocery volume was handled by food brokers according to a Canadian government industry report, which also describes brokers as intermediaries that generally do not take possession of merchandise.[10]

Supply chain in the broker food industry

  • 40,000 product varieties and more than 2,000 categories are supplied worldwide by Food Brokers B.V., according to the company profile.[44]
  • 21% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales came from general-line distributors in 2022, the same share as in 2017.[58]
  • 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales came through agents and brokers in 2022, unchanged from 2017, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.[58]
  • 27% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales came from manufacturer-operated sales branches and offices in 2022.[58]
  • 55% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales came from merchant wholesalers in 2022, while agents and brokers represented 18%.[58]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[59]
  • 66% of Queensland food-processing businesses engaged in contract manufacturing to some extent in 2010, including contracting work in or out.[60]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[60]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[61]
  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[62]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Commission economics are explicit in published examples: $500–$20,000 per month is a reported retainers range, and commissions become due after typical 30–60 day presentation and shipping timelines.

Pricing strategy in the broker food industry

  • 2% is a reported commission rate for commodity products handled by full-service food brokers.[63]
  • 5% is a reported commission rate for food-broker sales to distributors.[63]
  • 3% is the average food-broker commission on f.o.b. prices reported for Canada, rising to 5%–10% for specialty items.[10]
  • 30–60 days is the typical period needed for food brokers to present a product to buyers before orders are shipped and commissions become due.[40]
  • $500–$20,000 per month is the reported range for food-broker retainers, depending on team size and services.[63]

Cost reduction in the broker food industry

  • 5% is the commission rate used in the Alberta example comparing broker compensation with a fixed salesperson cost.[9]
  • 6 months is the review interval recommended for evaluating food-broker performance and spending against budget.[64]
  • 30 days is a typical written-notice period for ending or renewing food-broker contracts in a local-food assessment.[64]
  • 1 salesperson costing $50,000 requires more than $1 million in sales to match the cost at a 5% commission rate.[9]
  • $1,000 is the reported start-up fee for the first six months in one Alberta food-broker example.[9]

Profitability in the broker food industry

  • 5% is the commission rate paid on net invoice sales under a disclosed food-broker agreement.[48]
  • 25% of Canadian supermarket products were reported as broker-sold in an Alberta government market guide.[9]
  • 50% of Canadian grocery-dollar sales were reported as handled by food brokers in the same study.[10]
  • 42.4% of U.S. grocery-wholesale sales went to retail food stores in 2022, representing $550.7 billion.[8]
  • 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales were represented by agents and brokers in 2022.[8]

Financial planning in the broker food industry

  • 6 months is the recommended interval for formal food-broker review meetings covering sales and spending against budget.[64]
  • $3,500 per month was the minimum guaranteed income used in one food-broker financial arrangement before commissions reached that level.[48]
  • 90 days is the notice period specified for ending a disclosed exclusive food-broker agreement.[48]
  • 12 months was the agreement period used for the disclosed food-broker appointment before annual renewal.[48]
  • 30 days is a typical written termination-notice period for a food-broker agreement in that assessment.[64]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Brokers execute through category and in-store coverage outcomes; Acosta reports $180,000+ in additional orders and 7,800+ inventory corrections in a Kroger grocery-efficiency case study. Hybrid broker service areas were also identified for shelf setup and follow-up shelf management.

Product development in the broker food industry

  • $180,000+ in additional orders and 7,800+ inventory corrections were reported in an Acosta grocery-efficiency case study at Kroger.[65]
  • 1,000 distribution voids were uncovered across 18 retailers in an Acosta case study using a UNFI dashboard for Tyson.[65]
  • 60% sales growth and 12,687 new points of distribution were reported for Freshpet in an Acosta grocery case study.[65]
  • 1,267 new points of distribution accompanied 347.5% sales growth for Designer Wellness from 2022 to 2024 in an Acosta case study.[65]
  • 35% of a potential sales decline was avoided, preserving more than $3 million in revenue through Acosta price-elasticity modeling.[65]

Product lifecycle in the broker food industry

  • 2 hybrid food-broker service areas—initial retail shelf setup and follow-up shelf management—are identified in a U.S. securities filing.[48]
  • 17% was the median annual entry rate for candy and nutrition or weight-loss foods in USDA research covering U.S. food-product turnover.[8]
  • 3% to 5% of product sales is the traditional food-broker commission range described in a U.S. securities filing.[48]
  • 8% was the median annual entry rate for condiments, sauces and baking ingredients in USDA research covering U.S. food-product turnover.[8]
  • 7% to 18% were the median annual product-exit rates across U.S. food categories in USDA research on product turnover.[8]

After-sales in the broker food industry

  • 40.5% of Advantage Solutions’ 2025 revenue came from experiential services including in-store and online sampling and demonstrations.[66]
  • 60,000+ teammates operated across 90% of U.S. ZIP codes in Advantage Solutions’ retail-support network.[67]
  • 36.3% of Advantage Solutions’ 2024 revenue came from experiential services including sampling and demonstrations.[66]
  • 4,000+ consumer-goods brands were served across approximately 85,000 store locations by Advantage Solutions.[67]
  • 5 largest clients generated approximately 22% of Advantage Solutions’ 2025 revenue, indicating the scale of ongoing client-service relationships.[66]

Value proposition in the broker food industry

  • 100,000+ coast-to-coast retail locations are reached through Advantage Solutions’ interconnected brokerage and retail-service platform.[48]
  • 60,000+ field teammates supported brand and retailer execution across approximately 90% of U.S. ZIP codes for Advantage Solutions.[67]
  • 3% to 5% of net sales is the common food-broker commission range described by Vice CPG for consumer-packaged-food brands.[68]
  • 4,000+ consumer-goods brands were served across approximately 85,000 stores by Advantage Solutions in its 2025 shareholder letter.[67]
  • 4,000+ clients are served by Advantage Solutions across grocery, mass, club, drug and convenience retail categories.[48]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability reporting includes vehicle and emissions tracking for a brokerage example: 25% of its fleet converted to electric power by 2024 and 74,804.39 tonnes of CO₂e came from stationary combustion in 2024.

Sustainability in the broker food industry

  • 100% of company cars in Belgium, France and the Netherlands is Pietercil Brokerage’s target for electric conversion by 2029.[69]
  • 146 full-time-equivalent employees worked for Pietercil Brokerage at the end of 2024.[69]
  • €240.7 million was Pietercil Brokerage’s turnover in 2024 across Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France.[69]
  • 25% of Pietercil Brokerage’s vehicle fleet had been converted to electric power by 2024.[69]
  • 88% of Pietercil Brokerage’s electricity consumption came from green energy in 2024.[69]

ESG in the broker food industry

  • 4 pillars structure Pietercil Brokerage’s sustainability strategy: climate action, due diligence, product quality and safety, and its own people.[69]
  • 5 SDG categories were covered by Pietercil Brokerage’s SDG Pioneer assessment: People, Planet, Prosperity, Partnership and Peace.[69]
  • 25% of Pietercil Brokerage’s management team were women in 2024, rising to 46% in 2025.[69]
  • 10 sustainability actions per year across 4 of 5 SDG categories were required for Pietercil Brokerage’s VCDO charter achievement.[69]

Ethics in the broker food industry

  • Since 2016, Pietercil Brokerage has held IFS Broker certification covering its operations in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France.[69]
  • 4 countries were covered by Pietercil Brokerage’s IFS Broker certification in 2024.[69]
  • 1 external audit was conducted annually to renew Pietercil Brokerage’s IFS Broker certification.[69]

CSR in the broker food industry

  • 4 countries were served by Pietercil Brokerage’s local sales team in 2024.[69]
  • 1 SDG Pioneer certificate was awarded to Pietercil Brokerage by VOKA/UNITAR for its structural sustainability commitment.[69]
  • 12 sustainability criteria were used to assess Pietercil Brokerage’s VCDO actions, including training, stakeholder engagement and transparent communication.[69]

Circular economy in the broker food industry

  • 1 material sustainability matter identified for Pietercil Brokerage was resource use and circular economy, linked to food waste and packaging.[69]
  • 2 circular-economy pressures identified for Pietercil Brokerage were food waste and packaging resource use.[69]

Carbon footprint in the broker food industry

  • 50.15 tonnes of CO₂e came from stationary combustion in Pietercil Brokerage’s Scope 1 inventory in 2024.[69]
  • 332.58 tonnes of CO₂e came from mobile combustion in Pietercil Brokerage’s Scope 1 inventory in 2024.[69]
  • 74,804.39 tonnes of CO₂e were Pietercil Brokerage’s upstream Scope 3 emissions in 2024.[69]
  • 28,949.13 tonnes of land-based CO₂e emissions were reported by Pietercil Brokerage in 2024.[69]
  • 71.32 tonnes of CO₂e were Pietercil Brokerage’s downstream Scope 3 emissions in 2024.[69]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Global scale figures in the U.S. Census show 4,137 grocery and related-products agent-and-broker establishments generating $281.1 billion in 2022. The broader wholesale-trade agent-and-broker industry recorded $785.9 billion in 2022.

Globalization in the broker food industry

  • 281,090,340 thousand dollars was the 2022 sales value reported for U.S. grocery and related-products agents and brokers.[54]
  • Agents and brokers accounted for 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales in both 2017 and 2022.[8]
  • 4,137 U.S. grocery and related-products agent and broker establishments generated $281.1 billion in sales in 2022.[54]
  • 12,228 U.S. nondurable-goods agent and broker establishments generated $403.2 billion in sales in 2022.[54]
  • 4,137 grocery and related-products agent and broker establishments operated in the United States in 2022.[54]

Supplier management in the broker food industry

  • 1,977 U.S. farm-product raw-material agent and broker establishments generated $51.0 billion in sales in 2022.[54]
  • 2,924 U.S. miscellaneous durable-goods agent and broker establishments reported $31.7 billion in sales in 2022, illustrating the scale of brokered supplier relationships outside food.[54]
  • 178 U.S. beer, wine and distilled-alcoholic-beverage agent and broker establishments generated $6.0 billion in sales in 2022.[54]
  • More than 4,000 suppliers provided the specialty-food portfolio sold by Baldor Specialty Foods in fiscal 2024.[48]
  • More than 88,000 stock-keeping units were included in Baldor Specialty Foods’ product portfolio in fiscal 2024.[48]

Stakeholder management in the broker food industry

  • 4,137 U.S. grocery and related-products agent and broker establishments served buyer and seller stakeholders in 2022.[54]
  • Nearly 60,000 associates were employed by Acosta Group after its 2024 acquisitions of CROSSMARK, Product Connections and Dee Set.[76]
  • 29.7% of Advantage Solutions’ 2023 revenue came from experiential services, compared with 36.3% in 2024.[48]
  • More than 85% of the 50 largest consumer-packaged-goods companies were Advantage Solutions clients in the company’s 2023 snapshot.[48]
  • Approximately 95% was the retention rate among Advantage Solutions’ top clients in the company’s 2023 snapshot.[48]

Distribution channels in the broker food industry

  • 32% of U.S. merchant grocery wholesale sales came from miscellaneous distributors handling narrow dry-grocery categories in 2022.[8]
  • 18% of food purchased by U.K. foodservice operators used importer or contract-distribution routes in the USDA’s 2016 market-channel estimate.[7]
  • 24% of specialty-wholesaler sales were meat products in the 2022 U.S. grocery wholesale market.[8]
  • 54% of food purchased by U.K. foodservice operators moved through delivered wholesale in the USDA’s 2016 market-channel estimate.[7]
  • 21% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales came from general-line distributors in 2022.[8]

Key questions about the broker food industry

How large is the U.S. food-broker market?
U.S. grocery and related-product agents and brokers recorded $281.1 billion in sales in 2022 across 4,137 establishments.
Is the broker share growing in grocery wholesale?
No change appears in the available national data: agents and brokers represented 18% of U.S. grocery wholesale sales in 2022, unchanged from 2017.
Which companies lead the broker food industry?
Acosta Group stands out for retail and foodservice sales coverage because it operates retail sales and CORE, a leading foodservice agency, while Crossmark focuses on or leads in food broker services for consumer packaged goods brands in North America since it is a major U.S. sales and marketing agency providing food broker services.
What technology shifts matter for brokers and their customers?
Digital ordering and electronic marketplaces expand how buyers and sellers connect, while retail-execution software has been used to improve out-of-stock resolution and out-of-stock closures.
How is the segment structured and classified for compliance and reporting?
Food brokers are classified within NAICS 425120, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers, which covers intermediaries arranging wholesale transactions without taking title to goods.
How are commissions typically set in brokered food transactions?
Typical food-broker commissions are 5% to 8% of the invoice amount, with some references citing commission models by invoice value and product and service scope.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Broker Food Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/broker-food-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Broker Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/broker-food-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Broker Food Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/broker-food-industry-statistics.

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