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Other Food Wholesaling in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Melanie Katz Melanie Katz Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: September 2024 WZ G46.38DE

Revenue

€73.2bn

2024

€73.2bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€X.Xbn

Employees

60,292

Businesses

3,220

Wages

€X.Xbn

Other Food Wholesaling in Germany industry analysis

The wholesale of flour and cereal products, fish, fish products, pulses and potato products is a highly fragmented industry. At its centre is a large number of micro to medium-sized companies that operate on a regional level. Over the past five years, the sector has been characterised by increasing circumvention of the wholesale trade by manufacturers and retailers. At the same time, industry players have benefited from steadily rising household incomes and increasing health awareness among consumers, largely offsetting the effects of circumvention. In the period from 2019 to 2024, the industry recorded average sales growth of 1.7% per year. For 2024, IBISWorld expects industry sales to grow by 0.6% to €73.2 billion.While many factors such as net monthly household income, health awareness and key consumer markets such as food retail and catering have developed positively over the past five years, upstream and downstream sectors have increasingly bypassed wholesalers. As manufacturers as well as supermarkets and discounters have been able to cut costs by bypassing the middleman and food retailers have continued to expand and improve their logistics networks, there have been fewer and fewer incentives to involve wholesalers. Although the coronavirus crisis has had a negative impact on some of the wholesale customer markets, wholesalers supply such different customer groups that the impact of the pandemic on the wholesale sector has been limited. < />For the next few years until 2029, IBISWorld is forecasting an average increase in industry turnover of 0.9% per year. Due to market saturation, industry sales are likely to increase only slightly in the coming years and reach 76.6 billion euros in 2029. Demand for the goods and services of industry players is likely to remain relatively stable in the future due to the ongoing healthcare trend and the expected further increase in net household income. Nevertheless, the number of industry players is likely to fall slightly.

Trends and Insights

  • Digitalisation makes it easier to bypass the wholesale trade. The internet enables manufacturers to maintain direct trading relationships with their customers and thus save costs.
  • The industry's top-selling product is ready meals. Despite the continuing demand for healthy and regional food, sales of frozen products and ready meals are on the rise, which means that their share of sales has also increased slightly recently.
  • Most food wholesalers are located in regions with a large population. As a result, most wholesalers in the sector are based in the central and southern regions.
  • Competition within the industry is fierce. The wholesalers compete primarily on the price and quality of their goods and the breadth of their product range.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €73.2bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Wholesalers must react quickly to current consumer trends and bear the risk of short product life cycles

  • With regard to new nutritional trends, the demands on wholesalers have recently increased in order to enable just-in-time delivery and, above all, to be able to serve the retail trade in line with demand.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Other Food Wholesaling in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

The expansion of the private label range is likely to increase the tendency to bypass supermarkets

  • Strong price competition in the food retail sector is likely to result in sustained price pressure on wholesalers in the coming years. Due to persistently low profit margins in the food industry, private labels offer greater sales and profit potential.

Biggest companies in the Other Food Wholesaling in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue (€m)
2024
Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG
538.8
Hega GmbH
367.0
Barilla Deutschland GmbH
285.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Other Food Wholesaling in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Finished products, Fats, oils and spices and Fish and fish products. Finished products is the largest segment of the Other Food Wholesaling in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Finished products account for the largest share of sales due to their variety and long shelf life

  • The convenience food segment includes frozen food as well as pre-cooked and ready-to-eat meals.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Companies in this sector are active in the wholesale of fish, cereal products and spreads. The sector also includes the wholesale of foodstuffs not mentioned elsewhere, such as pasta and pulses, pet food, dietary foods, soya and potato products.

What's included in this industry?

Finished productsFats, oils and spicesFish and fish productsBaking ingredients and spreadsPet foodFood supplements and dietetic foodsFlour and cereal products

Companies

Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KGHega GmbHBarilla Deutschland GmbH

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

TRANS FATTY ACIDSE-PROCUREMENTSB-WARENHAUS

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 46.38 - Other Food Wholesaling in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Digitalisation makes it easier to bypass the wholesale trade. The internet enables manufacturers to maintain direct trading relationships with their customers and thus save c...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The industry's top-selling product is ready meals. Despite the continuing demand for healthy and regional food, sales of frozen products and ready meals are on the rise, whic...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Most food wholesalers are located in regions with a large population. As a result, most wholesalers in the sector are based in the central and southern regions.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Competition within the industry is fierce. The wholesalers compete primarily on the price and quality of their goods and the breadth of their product range.

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

There are no major players in the wholesale of other food products. The industry comprises a large number of companies, each of which specialises in a specific product group,...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Hega GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Barilla Deutschland GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Hega GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Barilla Deutschland GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Wholesalers in the sector are only allowed to sell products that comply with the labelling requirements of the Food Information Regulation. The aim of the regulation is to pr...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

The wholesale of other food products has a low profit margin. The sector is exposed to high price pressure and the tendency to bypass wholesalers in the value chain.

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany in 2024?

The market size of the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany is €73.2bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Other Food Wholesaling in Germany industry in 2024?

There are 3,220 businesses in the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 1.7 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Other Food Wholesaling market in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Other Food Wholesaling market in Germany are Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG, Hega GmbH and Barilla Deutschland GmbH

What does the Other Food Wholesaling in Germany include?

Finished products and Fats, oils and spices are part of the Other Food Wholesaling industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Other Food Wholesaling in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in Germany is Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG.

How competitive is the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Other Food Wholesaling industry in Germany.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Grocery Wholesaling in Germany

Complementors

  • Supermarkets in Germany
  • Organic Food Retailing in Germany
  • Full-Service Restaurants in Germany
  • Self-Service Restaurants in Germany
  • Takeaway Restaurants in Germany
  • Cafés & Ice-Cream Parlours in Germany
  • Catering Services in Germany
  • Food-Service Contractors in Germany

International industries

  • Grocery Wholesaling in the US
  • Fish & Seafood Wholesaling in the US
  • Fish and Seafood Wholesaling in Australia
  • Grocery Wholesaling in the UK

View all industries in Germany

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.