The U.S. cold storage sector reached an $84.5 billion market value last year. At the same time, food and beverage companies reported average out-of-stock rates of 8.3 percent. These operational pressures exist alongside a global food system where over six billion metric tons are lost or wasted annually.
Key Takeaways
- 137.5 million people in the U.S. received SNAP benefits in 2022 (measured as the number of individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Food-related retail sales in the U.S. increased 2.2% in 2023 (measured as year-over-year growth in food retail sales)
- U.S. grocery store sales were $862.3 billion in 2023 (measured as annual grocery store sales)
- 6.4 billion metric tons of food were lost and wasted globally in 2019 (measured as total food loss and waste)
- 27% of U.S. food waste occurs at the supply chain level (measured as the share of food waste attributed to manufacturing, retail, and other stages)
- 13.2% of global food was lost or wasted in the retail/distribution chain in 2019 (measured as share of food loss and waste by stage for retail/distribution)
- The U.S. cold storage market was valued at $84.5 billion in 2023 (measured as market value)
- The U.S. 3PL market size was $1.2 trillion in 2023 (measured as total third-party logistics market revenue in the U.S.)
- The global 3PL market was $1.3 trillion in 2023 (measured as total third-party logistics market size)
- 8.7% of U.S. adults were employed in food-related jobs in 2022 (measured as share of workforce in food-related occupations)
- Food and beverage companies reported average out-of-stock rates of 8.3% in 2023 (measured as percentage of SKUs out of stock)
- In 2023, 74% of grocery retailers prioritized improving supply chain visibility (measured as share of respondents in survey)
- In 2023, the CPI for food at home increased 4.2% year over year (measured as annual percent change)
- U.S. diesel fuel prices averaged $3.99 per gallon in 2023 (measured as annual average diesel price)
- U.S. gasoline prices averaged $3.48 per gallon in 2023 (measured as annual average gasoline price)
SNAP reaches 137.5 million Americans as global and U.S. food waste burdens grow, driving demand for smarter logistics.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demand & Volume3 stats
01
137.5 million people in the U.S. received SNAP benefits in 2022 (measured as the number of individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
02
Food-related retail sales in the U.S. increased 2.2% in 2023 (measured as year-over-year growth in food retail sales)
03
U.S. grocery store sales were $862.3 billion in 2023 (measured as annual grocery store sales)
Interpretation
Demand & Volume Interpretation
Demand for food remains strong as 137.5 million people relied on SNAP in 2022 alongside rising U.S. food retail sales of 2.2% in 2023 and substantial annual grocery store sales of $862.3 billion.
02 · Category
Food Waste & Loss6 stats
01
6.4 billion metric tons of food were lost and wasted globally in 2019 (measured as total food loss and waste)
02
27% of U.S. food waste occurs at the supply chain level (measured as the share of food waste attributed to manufacturing, retail, and other stages)
03
13.2% of global food was lost or wasted in the retail/distribution chain in 2019 (measured as share of food loss and waste by stage for retail/distribution)
04
1.1 billion tonnes of food were wasted in retail and consumer phases globally in 2019 (measured as food waste in retail and consumer phases)
05
62% of food waste in the U.S. is associated with the first phase of the supply chain (measured as share attributed to manufacturing, processing, and distribution)
06
42% of food waste in the U.S. occurs at the consumer level (measured as consumer share of food waste)
Interpretation
Food Waste & Loss Interpretation
In the Food Waste & Loss category, the biggest action point is upstream and consumer behavior alike, with the US seeing 27% of waste at the supply chain level and 42% at the consumer level, alongside 6.4 billion metric tons lost and wasted globally in 2019.
03 · Category
Market Size10 stats
01
The U.S. cold storage market was valued at $84.5 billion in 2023 (measured as market value)
02
The U.S. 3PL market size was $1.2 trillion in 2023 (measured as total third-party logistics market revenue in the U.S.)
03
The global 3PL market was $1.3 trillion in 2023 (measured as total third-party logistics market size)
04
The global food retail market reached $6.2 trillion in 2023 (measured as global food retail revenue)
05
US$1.02 billion: value of the U.S. grocery delivery services market in 2023 (measured as market value)
06
US$309.2 billion: value of the global grocery store market in 2023 (measured as market size)
07
US$93.7 billion: U.S. cold storage market revenue in 2024 (measured as market size)
08
US$25.2 billion: global warehouse management system market size in 2023 (measured as market value)
09
US$6.2 billion: estimated value of the global food traceability market in 2023 (measured as market size)
10
US$30.2 billion: U.S. food logistics market size in 2023 (measured as market size)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size picture is massive and growing across the food distribution ecosystem, with 2023 figures ranging from $30.2 billion for the U.S. food logistics market to $1.3 trillion for global 3PL and $84.5 billion for U.S. cold storage, while key enablers like the global food traceability market reach $6.2 billion.
04 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
8.7% of U.S. adults were employed in food-related jobs in 2022 (measured as share of workforce in food-related occupations)
02
Food and beverage companies reported average out-of-stock rates of 8.3% in 2023 (measured as percentage of SKUs out of stock)
03
In 2023, 74% of grocery retailers prioritized improving supply chain visibility (measured as share of respondents in survey)
04
The U.S. industrial (warehouse) rent growth was 4.2% year over year in Q1 2024 (measured as YoY asking rent change)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry trends are pointing to operational pressure and investment priorities, with 8.3% average out-of-stock rates in 2023 and 74% of grocery retailers focused on improving supply chain visibility, all while warehouse rents rose 4.2% year over year in Q1 2024.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
In 2023, the CPI for food at home increased 4.2% year over year (measured as annual percent change)
02
U.S. diesel fuel prices averaged $3.99per gallon in 2023 (measured as annual average diesel price)
03
U.S. gasoline prices averaged $3.48per gallon in 2023 (measured as annual average gasoline price)
04
10.2% of the value of U.S. food sales was lost to retail shrink in 2022 (measured as retail shrink as percentage of sales)
05
US$1.21 trillion: U.S. food waste cost estimate in 2019 (measured as annual cost to the economy of food loss/waste)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the cost analysis lens, rising energy and persistent loss are pushing distribution costs higher, with 2023 food at home CPI up 4.2% year over year alongside an estimated $1.21 trillion cost of food waste in 2019 and retail shrink consuming 10.2% of US food sales in 2022.
More related reading
06 · Category
Workforce & Ops3 stats
01
U.S. warehouse employment was 1.8 million in Q2 2024 (measured as number of workers employed in warehousing and storage)
02
U.S. trucking employment was 1.7 million in 2023 (measured as employment in truck transportation)
03
In 2023, there were 3.1 million truck drivers employed in the U.S. (measured as employment level)
Interpretation
Workforce & Ops Interpretation
In the Workforce & Ops picture of the U.S. food distribution industry, logistics manpower is massive with 1.8 million warehousing and storage workers in Q2 2024 alongside 1.7 million trucking jobs in 2023 and 3.1 million employed truck drivers in 2023, underscoring how critical these roles are to keeping food moving.
07 · Category
Performance Metrics1 stats
01
3.1x more likely to experience stockouts when forecasts are inaccurate (measured as increased stockout risk under forecast inaccuracy scenarios in a controlled study of retail inventory planning)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
In performance metrics for the food distribution industry, inaccurate demand forecasts make stockouts 3.1x more likely, clearly showing how forecast quality directly drives operational reliability in inventory planning.
08 · Category
Customer & Adoption2 stats
01
71% of consumers said transparency about sourcing and production is important (measured as survey share of consumers prioritizing transparency)
02
60% of supply chain professionals expect greater use of real-time inventory visibility tools in the next 12 months (measured as survey share)
Interpretation
Customer & Adoption Interpretation
In the Customer and Adoption view, a strong 71% of consumers want transparency about sourcing and production, while 60% of supply chain professionals expect real-time inventory visibility tools to grow within the next 12 months.
09 · Category
Workforce & Productivity2 stats
01
1.7 million: workers employed in truck transportation in the U.S. in 2023 (measured as employment level)
02
3.1 million: truck drivers employed in the U.S. in 2023 (measured as employment level)
Interpretation
Workforce & Productivity Interpretation
In the Workforce and Productivity snapshot for food distribution, the U.S. employed 3.1 million truck drivers in 2023, with 1.7 million working directly in truck transportation, underscoring how much distribution capacity depends on a large and specialized driver workforce.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Food Distribution Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-distribution-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Food Distribution Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-distribution-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Food Distribution Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-distribution-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)