Gitnux/Report 2026

Foodservice Distribution Industry Statistics

The U.S. foodservice distribution industry generated $426 billion in direct sales in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, companies and trends.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Foodservice Distribution Industry Statistics
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The foodservice distribution industry at a glance

U.S. foodservice distribution generated $426 billion in direct sales in 2026, supported nearly 950,000 total jobs and supplied about 1 million professional kitchens nationwide.

$426B[1]
Direct sales, 2026
443,500[1]
Direct workforce, 2026
18%[17]
Sysco U.S. market share, 2025
38%[60]
Top-three distributor share, 2025
Market size
The U.S. foodservice distribution industry generated $426 billion in direct sales in 2026. Including indirect and induced activity, its total sales impact exceeded $540 billion.[1]
Forecast & CAGR
Technomic estimated the U.S. foodservice market at approximately $377 billion in 2025 and projected approximately $390 billion by the end of 2026, implying one-year growth of about 3.4%. A multi-year industry CAGR was not identified in the reliable sources reviewed.[17]
Market share & regions
The industry operates nationally, with IFDA estimating 17,580 distribution locations across all 50 states in 2026. California and Texas had the largest foodservice-distribution employment bases in the latest detailed IFDA impact study, with approximately 99,000 and 96,000 jobs, respectively, in 2022.[1]
Segmentation
Sysco's fiscal 2025 sales mix was 70% U.S. foodservice, 18% international, 10% SYGMA customized distribution and 2% other activities. By customer type, restaurants represented 60% of Sysco sales, followed by healthcare and education/government at 8% each and travel and leisure at 7%.[17]
Key players & concentration
Sysco, Performance Food Group and US Foods are the leading national broadline distributors. US Foods reported that the top three distributors held 38% of the U.S. market in 2025, while the remaining market remained highly fragmented; Sysco separately estimated its own share at 18%.[60][17]
Pricing
Food-away-from-home prices rose 4.0% in 2025, while USDA forecast a 3.6% increase for 2026. These pressures affect distributor purchasing costs, restaurant menu prices and customer resistance to further price increases.[61][62]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is supported by food-away-from-home spending: full-service and limited-service restaurants together accounted for 71.0% of U.S. food-away-from-home spending in 2025. Key challenges include labor costs, food-price volatility, transportation expenses and low switching costs, which intensify price and service competition among distributors.[62][17]
Consumer behavior & competition
Restaurants remained the largest customer group in Sysco's fiscal 2025 mix at 60% of sales, while healthcare, education and government, and travel and leisure provided meaningful diversification. Customers can change suppliers quickly because switching costs are low, making delivery reliability, assortment, service and price central competitive factors.[17]
M&A
Sysco agreed in 2026 to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot for approximately $29.1 billion, including debt, in a transaction intended to expand its access to independent restaurants and cash-and-carry customers. Sysco also reported $189 million of fiscal 2026 acquisition spending, primarily for Fairfax Meadow and Ginsberg's Foods.[63][17]
Regulation
Foodservice distributors are subject to FDA requirements covering food safety, labeling, food-contact packaging and reportable foods. Large transactions can also face antitrust review; Sysco's proposed Restaurant Depot acquisition was subject to required regulatory clearances, with a $1.164 billion termination fee specified if approvals were not obtained or the deal was not completed under the agreement.[17]
Latest news
The most significant recent development is Sysco's approximately $29.1 billion agreement to acquire Restaurant Depot, announced in March 2026. The transaction would combine the largest U.S. foodservice distributor with a major wholesale cash-and-carry operator serving independent restaurants and other businesses.[63][17]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Foodservice Distribution Industry

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

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

METRO stands out for digitally connected wholesale channels because it serves foodservice customers through stores, delivery and digitally connected wholesale channels worldwide, while Performance Food Group leads in foodservice distribution since it reported $36.6 billion in fiscal 2026 foodservice segment sales across North America.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in digital wholesale channels

    METRO

    DE

    Ranked #1 · 9.4 · Digital wholesale channels

    Why we picked it: It serves foodservice customers through stores, delivery and digitally connected wholesale channels worldwide.

  2. Leader in foodservice, convenience and specialty distribution

    Performance Food Group

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Foodservice, convenience and specialty distribution

    Why we picked it: Its foodservice, convenience and specialty distribution model is measured by $36.6 billion in fiscal 2026 sales.

  3. Leader in broadline foodservice distribution

    US Foods Holding

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Broadline foodservice distribution

    Why we picked it: It pairs broadline and specialty distribution with scale across more than 70 broadline distribution centers.

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the foodservice distribution industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

METRO

Digital wholesale channels · DE

9.4
2

Performance Food Group

Foodservice, convenience and specialty distribution · US

8.9
3

US Foods Holding

Broadline foodservice distribution · US

8.9
4

Gordon Food Service

Broadline foodservice distribution · US

8.8
5

Sysco

Broadline foodservice distribution · US

8.8
6

Sligro Food Group

Foodservice wholesale in Netherlands and Belgium · NL

8.5
7

McLane

Restaurant chain foodservice distribution, United States · US

8.5
8

Shamrock Foods

Western U.S. foodservice distribution and dairy · US

8.3
9

Nicholas and Company

Broadline foodservice distribution, Mountain West · US

7.9
10

Bunzl

Foodservice supplies and distribution, global · GB

7.7

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 11, 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

Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the foodservice distribution industry. In Foodservice Distribution Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodservice-distribution-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest foodservice distribution companies

Sysco leads with $84.6B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Sysco$84.6B
Performance Food Group$67.8B
US Foods Holding$39.4B
Gordon Food Service$24.0B
Bunzl$15.0B
Sligro Food Group$2.9B
source-verifiedsec.gov · gfs.com · bunzl.com · sligrofoodgroup.nl2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Distributors increased AI adoption in 2025, when approximately one-third used generative and/or traditional AI, alongside higher wearable use at 56%.

AI in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Approximately one-third of foodservice distributors used generative and/or traditional AI in 2025, up from 12% in 2023, according to a survey of 32 distributors.[1]
  • 54% of larger foodservice distribution companies were actively discussing practical AI applications in 2023.[1]
  • 31% of larger foodservice distribution companies were already implementing AI in 2023.[1]
  • Nearly one-third of foodservice-distributor AI users said in 2025 that the technology was less effective than anticipated.[1]
  • 54% of foodservice distributors identified ROI expectations as one of the most important factors influencing new technology decisions in 2023.[1]

Automation in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 56% of foodservice distributors used wearable technology in 2025, compared with 41% in 2023.[1]
  • Foodservice distributors reported increased automation in receiving and put-away operations in 2025, while picking and replenishment automation remained steady.[1]
  • 28% of foodservice distributors identified labor savings as a top factor in technology decisions in 2025, up from 12% in 2023.[1]
  • 40% of foodservice distributors ranked recruitment automation among their three most important HR trends for the coming years in 2022.[1]
  • 40% of foodservice distribution companies ranked data-driven recruitment among their three most important HR trends in 2022.[1]

Digital Transformation in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 69% expected digitalization to improve efficiency in 2025.[2]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 51% identified high costs as a challenge to digitalizing logistics operations in 2025.[2]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 23% had digitized more than 75% of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[3]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 63% expected digitalization to enhance customer experience in 2025.[2]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 49% had digitized 50% or fewer of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[3]

Technology Adoption in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 19% of shippers reported using AI at scale.[4]
  • Across transportation and logistics executives surveyed in Europe and North America, 44% were using AI for transportation planning and optimization in 2025.[5]
  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying AI to reduce workloads in 2024.[4]
  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying automated real-time shipment tracking to address knowledge-worker shortages in 2024.[4]
  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 15% of logistics service providers reported using AI at scale.[4]

Cloud Computing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 89% planned to increase AI and machine-learning investment during the following one to two years.[6]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 84% had increased AI and machine-learning investment during the preceding one to two years.[6]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 85% said leadership viewed cloud as a long-term investment in 2023.[6]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 75% said cloud was crucial to their organization’s future in 2023.[6]

Big Data in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 38% of surveyed GCC logistics organizations used structured data, while 20% recognized a systematic link between data and business insights, according to a 2023 study.[7]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 34% identified data analytics, including cloud platforms and AI-powered solutions, as the most critical technology in 2025.[2]
  • 12.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used both cloud computing and big-data analytics, according to the OECD’s 2026 sectoral comparison of enterprise technology adoption.[8]
  • 45% of surveyed multinational logistics and supply-chain organizations said in 2024 that they were using logistics data to its full potential, according to a survey of 60 organizations.[9]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 49% expected digitalization to improve data visibility in 2025.[2]
  • 9.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used big-data analytics alone in the OECD’s 2026 cross-sector comparison, based on the latest available enterprise data.[8]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Operational data is large: 4.5 billion cases were delivered annually by U.S. foodservice distributors in 2023, supporting category-sizing and performance reporting.

Business intelligence in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 35 foodservice distributors supplied data for IFDA’s 2024 operations and financial performance report.[1]
  • 4.5 billion cases were delivered annually by U.S. foodservice distributors in 2023, providing a large operational-data base for distribution activity.[1]
  • 89% of U.S. restaurant operators reported satisfaction with their primary distributor in 2025.[1]
  • 500 U.S. restaurant operators were surveyed by IFDA about distributor strategies and technology-related needs in summer 2025.[1]
  • 57% of U.S. restaurant operators said AI makes distributor sales representatives more efficient in 2025.[1]
  • 300,000+ operators were represented in Technomic category-sizing reports using foodservice distributor data in 2025.[10]

Data analytics in the foodservice distribution industry

  • $81.370 billion was Sysco’s total sales in fiscal 2025 across foodservice, international, SYGMA and other operations.[11]
  • $14.905 billion was Sysco’s International Foodservice Operations sales in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • $15.186 billion was Sysco’s fiscal 2025 sales of fresh and frozen meats across its reported operations.[11]
  • $56.965 billion was Sysco’s U.S. Foodservice Operations sales in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • $377 billion was the estimated U.S. foodservice market size used by Sysco for calendar 2025.[11]
  • $14.645 billion was Sysco’s fiscal 2025 sales of canned and dry products across its reported operations.[11]

Data Quality in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across transportation and logistics shippers, 33% identified data quality as a top barrier to scaling artificial intelligence in 2026.[4]
  • Across supply management organizations, 33% rated their data-security ability as very high for assuring data quality in 2024.[12]
  • Across supply management organizations, 49% rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024.[12]
  • Across supply management organizations, 67% said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[12]

Data Governance in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% housed it in a center of excellence in 2024.[12]
  • Across supply management organizations, 61% had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[12]
  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance program, 81% found the program useful in 2024.[12]
  • 33% of 3PL respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running ahead, meaning proactive and predictable, in the 2024 global survey.[13]
  • 32% of transport and logistics respondents said data governance or security was a primary challenge when preparing data for artificial intelligence in 2024.[14]
  • 42.8% of airlines surveyed worldwide considered themselves to be in the early stages of data-strategy implementation in the IATA 2024 survey.[15]

KPIs in the foodservice distribution industry

  • $993,825 was median sales per employee in a foodservice distribution business in 2025.[1]
  • 31% of the U.S. foodservice distribution workforce consisted of drivers in 2026.[1]
  • 18% of supervisory roles in U.S. foodservice distribution were held by women in 2026.[1]
  • 42% of the U.S. foodservice distribution workforce consisted of warehouse workers in 2026.[1]
  • 15% of executive roles in U.S. foodservice distribution were held by women in 2026.[1]
  • 21% of sales roles in U.S. foodservice distribution were held by women in 2026.[1]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Specialty and international mixes shape growth. Technomic estimated the U.S. foodservice market at about $377 billion in 2025 and about $390 billion by the end of 2026.

Growth in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 18% was Sysco’s estimated share of the approximately $377 billion United States foodservice market for calendar 2025.[11]
  • 4.8% was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 international-foodservice-operations sales growth excluding the Mexico joint-venture impact.[11]
  • 18.3% was the 2025 same-store-sales increase reported by a foodservice distribution customer supported by four additional distribution centers.[16]
  • $10 billion or more was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 specialty-platform sales opportunity identified in its investor presentation.[11]
  • $390 billion was Technomic’s projected United States foodservice-market size for calendar 2026, cited by Sysco.[11]
  • 3.6% was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 total-sales growth excluding the impact of its Mexico joint-venture divestiture.[11]

Differentiation in the foodservice distribution industry

  • $2.779 billion was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 seafood sales across its reported operating segments.[11]
  • $15.186 billion was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 fresh-and-frozen-meat sales across its reported operating segments.[11]
  • $14.645 billion was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 canned-and-dry-product sales across its reported operating segments.[11]
  • $5.495 billion was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 sales of paper and disposable products, supporting its non-foodservice product differentiation.[11]
  • 2 of Performance Food Group’s foodservice facilities had seafood-processing operations, adding custom-cut and packed seafood capabilities.[17]
  • 11 of Performance Food Group’s foodservice facilities had meat-cutting operations, adding custom-cut products to its distribution offering.[17]

Mergers and acquisitions in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 36 foodservice-sector M&A deals were recorded from January 1, 2025 through November 10, 2026 by Acquire.fyi.[18]
  • $800 million was the reported total transaction value for foodservice-sector M&A deals from January 1, 2025 through November 10, 2026.[18]
  • $400 million was the disclosed value of The Marzetti Company’s announced acquisition of Bachan’s.[18]
  • 25.4% was the year-over-year increase in private-strategic food-production deal volume reported by Capstone Partners.[19]
  • 60% of public-led food-production deals were tuck-in acquisitions in Capstone Partners’ 2026 update.[19]
  • 45.8% was the year-over-year decline in strategic-buyer food-sector acquisition activity reported by Capstone Partners.[19]

Strategic partnerships in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 4 primary distribution companies were named by Darden Restaurants as major foodservice suppliers: Sysco, US Foods, Performance Food Group and other regional distributors.[20]
  • 3 major distributors were identified as participants in the C&S Wholesale Grocers grocery-supply partnership: C&S, US Foods and Performance Food Group.[21]
  • 1 primary distributor served Darden Restaurants’ procurement-services business: US Foods.[20]
  • 1 primary distributor served Darden Restaurants’ food and facilities business in the United States and Canada: Sysco.[20]
  • 2 major foodservice distributors, US Foods and Performance Food Group, partnered with C&S Wholesale Grocers to supply United States grocery stores during the 2020 disruption.[21]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Warehouse labor remains central, with 42% of the U.S. foodservice distribution workforce consisting of warehouse workers in 2026.

Hiring in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 88% of foodservice distributors included employee benefits in public job postings in 2022.[1]
  • 68% of foodservice distributors included salary ranges in public job postings in 2022.[1]
  • 76% of foodservice distributors ranked wellbeing and mental health among their three most important HR trends for the coming years in 2022.[1]
  • 24% of foodservice distributors included career advancement information in public job postings in 2022.[1]
  • 64% of foodservice distributors included company-culture descriptions in public job postings in 2022.[1]

Employee retention in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 48% of foodservice distributors ranked remote, flexible or hybrid work among their three most important HR trends for the coming years in 2022.[1]
  • 38% of foodservice distributors had employees with disabilities in 2022, according to an industry workforce survey.[1]
  • 37.7% was the average turnover rate for foodservice warehouse employees in 2020.[1]
  • 70% of foodservice distributors employed veterans in 2022, according to an industry workforce survey.[1]
  • 28% of foodservice distributors ranked upskilling workers among their three most important HR trends for the coming years in 2022.[1]

Remote Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities, 20.3% of workers could work from home in 2024–2025, while 18.6% actually did so, according to annual averages.[22]
  • Among U.S. transportation, logistics, supply-chain and storage hires, 17.0% of hires at small companies were remote during the year ending September 2024.[23]
  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities occupations, about 11% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes from October 2023 through September 2024.[24]
  • In the U.S. transportation and warehousing industry, 13.9% of wage and salary employees worked from home in January 2025.[25]

Hybrid Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Globally, 25% of engaged employees were working in hybrid arrangements in 2025, compared with 30% of exclusively remote employees and 17% of on-site, non-remote-capable employees.[26]
  • Across transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 42% reported a hybrid work arrangement in 2025.[27]
  • Among transportation employers surveyed for the U.S. Job Outlook, 33.3% reported fully hybrid work arrangements in 2024.[28]
  • Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked hybrid schedules in August 2026.[26]

Upskilling in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 28% of foodservice distributors ranked worker upskilling among their three most important HR trends for the coming years in 2022.[1]
  • 24% of foodservice distributors included career advancement information in public job postings in 2022, a measure relevant to internal development pathways.[1]
  • 32% of foodservice distributors included hard or technical skills requirements in public job postings in 2022.[1]
  • 40% of foodservice distributors ranked recruitment automation among their three most important HR trends for the coming years in 2022, indicating technology-related capability needs.[1]
  • 12% of foodservice distributors included job-technology use in public job postings in 2022.[1]

Employee Engagement in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Globally, 20% of employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 16% were actively disengaged.[26]
  • Across Asia-Pacific transport and logistics organizations, 62% of employees were actively engaged, based on feedback from 30,116 employees in 24 surveys.[29]
  • In U.S. logistics, more than 60% of frontline workers considered their roles long-term career commitments in 2024.[30]
  • In U.S. logistics, 71% of frontline workers reported workplace stress in 2024.[30]
  • In U.S. logistics, 40% of frontline workers wanted to quit in 2024, according to a survey of 500 logistics employees.[30]

DEI in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 18.4% of foodservice distribution warehouse employees were aged 20–24 in 2022, compared with 7.4% of drivers.[1]
  • 40% of foodservice distributors had a formal or informal diversity initiative in place in 2022.[1]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer relationships stay operationally sticky despite low switching costs, with 89% of U.S. restaurant operators satisfied with their primary distributor in 2025.

Customer experience in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 79% of food-away-from-home operators rated themselves extremely or very satisfied with their current distributors in 2025.[31]
  • Operators used an average of 3.1 foodservice distributors in 2025, up from 2.8 before the pandemic.[1]
  • 11% of food-away-from-home operators characterized their distributor relationship as a strategic partnership in 2025.[31]
  • 28% of food-away-from-home operators described their distributor interactions as purely transactional in 2025.[31]
  • 50% of surveyed food-away-from-home operators described their distributor interactions as service-focused in 2025.[31]

Customer retention in the foodservice distribution industry

  • US Foods supplied approximately 250,000 customer locations across the United States in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • US Foods operated more than 70 distribution facilities and over 90 cash-and-carry locations in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • US Foods employed more than 4,000 sales associates to manage customer relationships in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • 84% of restaurant operators were satisfied with their primary distributor relationship in 2019.[32]
  • 5% of restaurant operators were dissatisfied with their primary distributor relationship in 2019.[32]

Customer acquisition in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 78% of restaurant operators purchased distributor-brand products in 2025.[1]
  • Sysco served approximately 730,000 customer locations worldwide in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • 27% of restaurant operators said they would pick up orders from a drop location if offered in 2025.[1]
  • 50% of restaurant operators said they bought more distributor-brand products than two years earlier in 2025.[1]
  • Sysco generated $81.4 billion in global revenue in fiscal 2025.[11]

Customer loyalty in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 50% of restaurant operators said they purchased more distributor-brand products than two years earlier in 2025.[1]
  • No single customer accounted for 10% or more of Sysco’s total sales in fiscal 2026.[11]
  • 52% of restaurant operators had been in a prime-vendor relationship for more than five years in 2019.[32]
  • 78% of restaurant operators purchased distributor-brand products in 2025, indicating broad engagement with distributor-owned brands.[1]
  • 40% of restaurant operators were very satisfied with their primary distributor in 2019.[32]

Lead generation in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 56% of noncommercial foodservice operators used social media to look for foodservice information in 2023.[33]
  • 46% of foodservice operators used distributor or broker representatives as an information source in 2023.[33]
  • 56% of foodservice operators used foodservice trade media to receive business information in 2023.[33]
  • 55% of foodservice operators used trade shows, conferences or networking events for business information in 2023.[33]
  • Two-thirds of foodservice operators used social media to look for foodservice information in 2023.[33]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Digital discovery matters for demand signals: 90% of restaurant operators said social media was very or extremely important to their overall digital marketing approach in 2025.

Marketing in the foodservice distribution industry

  • US Foods employed more than 4,000 sales associates supporting customer relationships in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • 56% of foodservice operators used foodservice trade media for business information in 2023.[33]
  • 55% of foodservice operators used trade shows, conferences and networking events for business information in 2023.[33]
  • 46% of foodservice operators used distributor or broker representatives to receive information for managing their business in 2023.[33]
  • US Foods’ group purchasing organization customers represented approximately 27% of net sales in fiscal 2025.[34]

Digital marketing in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 37% of B2B distributors with $100 million to $500 million in annual revenue offered ecommerce in 2024.[35]
  • US Foods’ MOXē digital platform enabled customers to manage orders and inventories in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • 35% of B2B distributors with $50 million to $100 million in annual revenue offered ecommerce in 2024.[35]
  • US Foods supplied approximately 250,000 customer locations through its digitally enabled customer model in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • 25% of B2B distributors with $10 million to $50 million in annual revenue offered ecommerce in 2024.[35]

Branding in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Sysco’s fiscal 2025 sales were generated across restaurants, other customers, education and government, healthcare, and travel and leisure segments.[11]
  • US Foods’ exclusive-brands portfolio was identified as one of the company’s three strategic pillars in fiscal 2025.[34]
  • Sysco’s education and government customers accounted for 8% of fiscal 2025 sales by customer type.[11]
  • Sysco’s restaurant customers accounted for 60% of fiscal 2025 sales by customer type.[11]
  • Sysco’s travel and leisure customers accounted for 7% of fiscal 2025 sales by customer type.[11]

Social media in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 70.8% of foodservice operators identified social media as part of the foodservice marketing mix in a 2025 industry survey.[36]
  • 56% of noncommercial foodservice operators used social media to seek foodservice information in 2023.[33]
  • 79% of commercial foodservice operators used social media to seek foodservice information in 2023.[33]
  • 90% of restaurant operators said social media was very or extremely important to their overall digital marketing approach in 2025.[37]

Influencer Marketing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 53% of U.S. B2B marketers reported a growing dedicated influencer-marketing budget in 2024 survey data.[38]
  • 58% of B2B marketers selected authenticity and credibility as criteria for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[39]
  • 49% of B2B marketers selected industry relevance as a criterion for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[39]
  • 43% of worldwide B2B marketers who achieved positive results said micro-influencers generated the most success in 2024.[38]
  • 55% of B2B companies used influencers in 2025, according to a global survey of marketing decision-makers.[39]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Distribution throughput stays measurable. U.S. foodservice distributors delivered products to 1 million professional kitchens in 2026.

Process optimization in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Approximately one-third of U.S. foodservice distributors reported using generative or traditional artificial intelligence in 2025.[1]
  • 41% of U.S. foodservice distributors rated their technology effectiveness as average in 2025, down from 47% in 2023.[1]
  • 32 foodservice distributors participated in the International Foodservice Distributors Association technology survey conducted in April 2025.[1]
  • 56% of U.S. foodservice distributors used wearable technology in 2025, compared with 41% in 2023.[1]
  • 28% of U.S. foodservice distributors identified customization requirements as a top technology-decision factor in 2025, up from 17% in 2023.[1]

Operational efficiency in the foodservice distribution industry

  • U.S. foodservice distributors operated 173,200 power units, trailers, trucks and non-commercial-driver-license vehicles in 2026.[1]
  • More than 139,000 drivers covered 4.5 billion miles annually for U.S. foodservice distributors in 2026.[1]
  • US Foods operated more than 70 broadline distribution centers and more than 90 cash-and-carry stores in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • U.S. foodservice distributors operated 17,580 distribution-center locations in 2026.[1]
  • U.S. foodservice distributors employed nearly 443,500 people in 2026.[1]

Quality management in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 78% of surveyed U.S. restaurant operators purchased distributor-brand products in 2025.[1]
  • 89% of surveyed U.S. restaurant operators were satisfied with their primary foodservice distributor in 2025.[1]
  • 89% of surveyed U.S. restaurant operators cited food costs as a top challenge in 2025, increasing pressure on distributors to maintain product value and service quality.[1]

Supply chain in the foodservice distribution industry

  • U.S. foodservice distributors donated 7.8 million cases of food and beverage products annually in 2026.[1]
  • US Foods increased total case volume by 1.0% and independent case volume by 3.3% in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • Performance Food Group served more than 350,000 food-away-from-home customer locations in fiscal 2026.[17]
  • Sysco’s U.S. Foodservice case volume decreased 1.4% for local customers in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • Foodservice distributors in the United States delivered products to 1 million professional kitchens in 2026.[1]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 57% planned outsourcing projects in warehousing in 2026.[40]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 25% had fully outsourced warehouse operations in 2026.[40]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, about 60% had fully outsourced transportation services in 2026.[40]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 65% expected outsourcing to continue increasing in 2026.[40]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Margin pressures persist from pricing and labor. Sysco’s U.S. Foodservice Operations generated $3.516 billion of operating income on $56.965 billion of sales in fiscal 2025.

Pricing strategy in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Sysco’s U.S. Broadline brand penetration was 46.2% in fiscal 2025, down 81 basis points from fiscal 2024.[17]
  • Sysco’s fiscal 2025 gross margin declined 26 basis points to 19.1% in its U.S. Foodservice Operations.[17]
  • Foodservice dollar sales from operators to broadline distributors grew 4% in the United States in 2024.[41]
  • The average food price per pound from distributors to U.S. foodservice operators increased 30% between 2020 and 2024.[41]
  • Foodservice distributors typically added a 5%–20% margin to products sold to foodservice customers in British Columbia.[42]

Cost reduction in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Sysco’s adjusted operating expenses increased 4.0% in U.S. Foodservice Operations in fiscal 2025, compared with a 4.6% increase in reported operating expenses.[17]
  • Approximately one-third of foodservice distributors using artificial intelligence reported lower-than-expected effectiveness in 2025, limiting realized savings.[1]
  • Sysco reduced Global Support Center expenses by 5.7% in fiscal 2025 through its existing cost-savings program.[17]
  • 28% of surveyed U.S. foodservice distributors cited labor savings as a leading technology-investment objective in 2025.[1]
  • US Foods increased gross profit 5.1% to $6.9 billion in fiscal 2025, partly because of improved cost-of-goods-sold and inventory management.[17]

Profitability in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Performance Food Group reported $887.5 million of operating profit in fiscal 2026.[17]
  • Sysco’s U.S. Foodservice Operations generated $3.516 billion of operating income on $56.965 billion of sales in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • US Foods expanded adjusted EBITDA margin by 30 basis points to 4.9% in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • US Foods increased adjusted EBITDA 11.0% to $1.932 billion in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • Sysco’s U.S. Foodservice Operations produced a 19.1% gross margin in fiscal 2025.[17]

Financial planning in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Performance Food Group reported fiscal 2026 net sales of $67.8395 billion, up from $63.2989 billion in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • Performance Food Group’s fiscal 2025 foodservice sales represented 53.2% of company net sales.[17]
  • Performance Food Group reported fiscal 2026 operating expenses of $7.2031 billion, compared with $6.6003 billion in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • Sysco forecast approximately 2% inflation and 3%–5% net-sales growth for fiscal 2026.[17]
  • Performance Food Group reported fiscal 2026 gross profit of $8.0906 billion, compared with $7.4166 billion in fiscal 2025.[17]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Volume and service coverage are quantified: 12.8 billion cases of food and supplies were delivered to U.S. professional kitchens by distributors in 2026.

Product development in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 12.8 billion cases of food and supplies were delivered to U.S. professional kitchens by distributors in 2026.[1]
  • 27% of U.S. restaurant operators said they would pick up distributor orders from a drop location if the option were offered in 2025.[1]
  • 7.8 million cases of food and beverage products were donated annually by U.S. foodservice distributors in 2026.[1]
  • 91% of U.S. restaurant operators expressed interest in subscription-based product-ordering models in 2025.[1]
  • 300,000+ foodservice operators were covered by Technomic’s distributor-data category-sizing reports launched in 2025.[10]

Product lifecycle in the foodservice distribution industry

  • Sysco served about 18% of the approximately $377 billion U.S. foodservice market in calendar 2025.[11]
  • 8% of Sysco’s sales came from foodservice-management customers in both fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2025.[11]
  • 8% of Sysco’s fiscal 2026 sales came from education and government customers.[11]
  • 7% of Sysco’s fiscal 2026 sales came from travel and leisure customers.[11]
  • 17,580 U.S. foodservice-distribution-center locations were estimated by IFDA in 2026.[1]

After-sales in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 89% of U.S. restaurant operators reported satisfaction with their primary foodservice distributor in 2025.[1]
  • 139,000 drivers were employed by U.S. foodservice distribution companies in 2026.[1]
  • 3.1 distributors was the average number used by U.S. restaurant operators in 2025, up from 2.8 before the pandemic.[1]
  • 35 million cases per day was the average delivery volume of U.S. foodservice distributors in 2026.[1]

Value proposition in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 89% of U.S. restaurant operators identified food costs as a top challenge in 2025.[1]
  • 4.5 billion miles were driven annually by U.S. foodservice-distribution vehicles in 2026.[1]
  • More than $540 billion was the total U.S. sales impact of foodservice distribution, including indirect and induced effects, in 2026.[1]
  • 173,200 power units, trailers, trucks and non-CDL vehicles were operated by U.S. foodservice distributors in 2026.[1]
  • $426 billion was the annual sales value of the U.S. foodservice distribution industry in 2026.[1]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Supplier and waste metrics track operational practices. US Foods delivered 740,000+ cases of seasonal produce through Serve Local in fiscal 2025.

Sustainability in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 31,000+ employees worked across Bidcorp’s foodservice distribution group in fiscal 2026.[43]
  • 740,000+ cases of seasonal produce were delivered to US Foods customers through Serve Local in fiscal 2025 in the United States.[44]
  • 5,000+ differentiated Exclusive Brands products were available from US Foods in fiscal 2025 in the United States.[44]
  • 31 countries were served by Bidcorp’s global foodservice distribution operations in fiscal 2026.[43]
  • 88% of US Foods Exclusive Brands seafood by volume met Serve Good or Progress Check responsible-sourcing standards in fiscal 2025 in the United States.[44]

ESG in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 29% was Bidcorp’s staff attrition rate in fiscal 2025.[45]
  • 30,581 employees worked for Bidcorp in fiscal 2025 across its global foodservice distribution operations.[45]
  • 418,000 training hours were completed by Bidcorp employees in fiscal 2025.[45]
  • 16% was the improvement in US Foods injury and accident rates in fiscal 2025 compared with 2024.[44]
  • 1.2 million hours of associate training were provided by US Foods in fiscal 2025 in the United States.[44]

Ethics in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 35 countries had access to Bidcorp’s whistleblower facility in fiscal 2024.[45]
  • 24/7 was the operating schedule of Bidcorp’s independently administered whistleblower facility in fiscal 2024.[45]

CSR in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 7,000+ low-income families were supported by SAFCO’s surplus-food contribution in 2025 in the United Arab Emirates.[46]
  • R76.5 million was invested by Bidcorp in donations and sponsorships during fiscal 2026.[43]
  • 7,456 kilograms of surplus food were contributed by SAFCO to the Ne’ma Ramadan Food Rescue Program in 2025 in the United Arab Emirates.[46]
  • $12 million+ in products, volunteer time and monetary contributions were donated by US Foods to communities in fiscal 2025 in the United States.[44]
  • 70% was the increase in US Foods associate volunteer hours in fiscal 2025 compared with 2024 in the United States.[44]

Circular economy in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 58.19% of surplus food was sent to composting by participating U.S. foodservice businesses in 2024.[47]
  • 35.95% of surplus food was sent to landfill by participating U.S. foodservice businesses in 2024.[47]

Carbon footprint in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 154,460 tonnes of Scope 1 emissions were reported by Bidcorp in fiscal 2026.[48]
  • 116,509 tonnes of Scope 2 emissions were reported by Bidcorp in fiscal 2026.[48]
  • 567,899 metric tons of Scope 1 emissions were reported by US Foods in calendar 2022 in the United States.[49]
  • 12.6% was Bidcorp’s reduction in carbon-emissions efficiency against its fiscal 2024 baseline by fiscal 2026.[48]
  • 8,026 tonnes of Scope 3 emissions were reported by Bidcorp in fiscal 2026.[48]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Networks extend across markets. Sysco reported 337 distribution facilities across North America and Europe in its fiscal 2025 network.

Globalization in the foodservice distribution industry

  • $81 billion or more in sales was reported by Sysco for fiscal 2025, making it the company’s largest stated global sales base.[11]
  • 337 distribution facilities operated across North America and Europe in Sysco’s fiscal 2025 network.[11]
  • 13 countries hosted Sysco operations in fiscal 2025, including the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, China and Australia.[11]
  • $81.4 billion was Sysco’s global revenue in fiscal 2025, serving approximately 730,000 customer locations worldwide.[11]
  • 25 countries contained Bidcorp branch locations at the end of fiscal 2025, according to the company’s global operating profile.[59]

Cultural adaptation in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 7% of Sysco’s fiscal-2025 sales came from travel and leisure customers.[11]
  • 8% of Sysco’s fiscal-2025 sales came from healthcare customers in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • 17% of Sysco’s fiscal-2025 sales came from other customer categories, outside restaurants, healthcare, education and government, and travel and leisure.[11]
  • $2.811 billion was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 international revenue from frozen fruits, vegetables, bakery and other products.[11]
  • 8% of Sysco’s fiscal-2025 sales came from education and government customers.[11]

Supplier management in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 45% of Darden Restaurants’ food and non-food products in the United States and Canada were distributed by Sysco in fiscal 2024.[20]
  • 2 of Performance Food Group’s 89 foodservice distribution centers had seafood-processing operations in fiscal 2025.[17]
  • Approximately 1,100 sales and customer-service professionals supported Chef’s Warehouse’s specialty-food distribution relationships in fiscal 2025.[20]
  • Sysco distributed approximately 45% of Darden Restaurants’ United States and Canadian food and non-food purchases in fiscal 2024.[20]
  • 44 distribution centers supported Chef’s Warehouse customer deliveries as of December 26, 2025.[17]

Stakeholder management in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 64 employees, approximately 1% of The Chefs’ Warehouse workforce, were represented by unions as of December 26, 2025.[17]
  • Approximately 730,000 customer locations were served by Sysco worldwide in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • More than 75,000 colleagues were included in Sysco’s fiscal-2025 global workforce stakeholder base.[11]
  • 5,156 full-time employees worked for The Chefs’ Warehouse as of December 26, 2025.[17]

Distribution channels in the foodservice distribution industry

  • 27 specialty distribution centers were operated by Performance Food Group as of June 28, 2025.[17]
  • 89 foodservice distribution centers were operated by Performance Food Group as of June 28, 2025.[17]
  • 200 miles or less was the typical distance between Performance Food Group broadline customers and a distribution facility.[17]
  • 155 total distribution centers were operated by Performance Food Group across foodservice, convenience and specialty segments as of June 28, 2025.[17]
  • $56.965 billion was Sysco’s fiscal-2025 United States foodservice-operations sales.[11]

Key questions about the Foodservice Distribution Industry

What is the U.S. foodservice distribution market size in 2026?
The U.S. foodservice distribution industry generated $426 billion in direct sales in 2026.
How fast is the market growing around 2026?
Technomic estimated the U.S. foodservice market at approximately $377 billion in 2025 and projected approximately $390 billion by the end of 2026, implying one-year growth of about 3.4%.
Which companies lead the foodservice distribution industry?
METRO stands out for digitally connected wholesale channels because it serves foodservice customers through stores, delivery and digitally connected wholesale channels worldwide, while Performance Food Group leads in foodservice distribution since it reported $36.6 billion in fiscal 2026 foodservice segment sales across North America.
How are distributors adopting technology in recent years?
Approximately one-third of foodservice distributors used generative and/or traditional AI in 2025, up from 12% in 2023. Automation increased in receiving and put-away operations in 2025 while picking and replenishment automation remained steady.
What does market concentration look like in 2025?
Top-three distributor share was 38% in 2025, while Sysco estimated its own share at 18%.
What outcomes do restaurant operators report with their primary distributor?
In 2025, 89% of surveyed U.S. restaurant operators reported satisfaction with their primary foodservice distributor. In the same period, 79% of food-away-from-home operators rated themselves extremely or very satisfied.
Reference

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Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Foodservice Distribution Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodservice-distribution-industry-statistics
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Sophie Moreland. "Foodservice Distribution Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/foodservice-distribution-industry-statistics.
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Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Foodservice Distribution Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/foodservice-distribution-industry-statistics.