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Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Matthew Reeves Matthew Reeves Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: April 2024 ANZSIC F3605NZ

Revenue

$8.7bn

2024-25

$8.7bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

5,463

Businesses

209

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand industry analysis

The Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry contracted slightly over the past five years. Consumers are seeking healthier food to augment their diets. Despite consistent demand for fruit and vegetables from local markets, wholesale bypass trends by downstream retailers, especially the major supermarkets, has curtailed revenue performance. Pandemic lockdowns stunted downstream demand from food service establishments, and wholesalers faced difficulties selling to both local and international markets. As restrictions have eased, demand from both local and overseas customers has picked up again. Revenue has also been negatively impacted by extreme weather events, including heavy frosts, floods and cyclones, that have weakened supply of certain types of fruit and vegetables. Overall, wholesaler revenue is expected to fall at an annualised 0.5% over the five years through 2024-25, to $8.7 billion. This trend includes a decline of 1.2% in 2024-25, as production has been hampered by heavy frost damage and labour shortages.

Trends and Insights

  • Labour shortages, extreme weather, and pandemic-induced issues have impacted upstream harvests and prices for fruit and vegetable wholesalers in New Zealand. Even so, increasing health consciousness and export opportunities are supporting industry resilience, limiting revenue declines.
  • Food service establishments are providing wholesalers with greater levels of demand in recent years. Food service establishments are back up and running after pandemic lockdowns during the first half of the period.
  • The closer to grocery retailers, the better for wholesalers. Proximity to downstream sellers and ports allows for easier accessibility to key markets.
  • General-line grocery wholesalers are ramping up the pressure as wholesale bypass is seen as an increasingly attractive option. As this key market falters, wholesalers find themselves struggling.

Access hundreds of analysis and data

  • 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 declined at a CAGR of 0.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $8.7bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Labour shortages and extreme weather have cut into upstream harvests

  • Many fruit and vegetable growers have had to contend with difficult seasons in recent years, facing tough weather, unreliable quality and pandemic-related issues.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand
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

Cost-of-living pressures are set to ease, supporting food service establishments

  • Inflationary pressures are expected to ease over the coming years. As conditions improve, interest rates will likely decrease, improving consumer spending power.

Biggest companies in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Zespri
2,927.8

To view the market share and analysis for all 1 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Root vegetables, Fruit vegetables and Pome and stone fruits. Root vegetables is the largest segment of the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand.

Trends and Insights

Extreme weather has affected the supply of root vegetables, but demand is rising

  • Root vegetables include potatoes, kumara, carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, yams and ginger.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Industry operators wholesale fresh fruit and vegetables, including washed and packaged produce. Businesses that wholesale fruit and vegetables in conjunction with a variety of other grocery items are excluded from the industry.

What's included in this industry?

Root vegetablesFruit vegetablesPome and stone fruitsLeaf and stem vegetablesCitrus fruitMushrooms, cabbages and herbsKiwifruitMangoes, bananas and pineapplesGrapes and berries

Companies

Zespri

Purchase this report to view all 1 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

POME FRUITFRUIT VEGETABLESSTEM VEGETABLESLARVAE

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 3605 - Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand

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

Labour shortages, extreme weather, and pandemic-induced issues have impacted upstream harvests and prices for fruit and vegetable wholesalers in New Zealand. Even so, increas...

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

Food service establishments are providing wholesalers with greater levels of demand in recent years. Food service establishments are back up and running after pandemic lockdo...

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

The closer to grocery retailers, the better for wholesalers. Proximity to downstream sellers and ports allows for easier accessibility to key markets.

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 Asia Pacific, 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

General-line grocery wholesalers are ramping up the pressure as wholesale bypass is seen as an increasingly attractive option. As this key market falters, wholesalers find th...

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

Zespri Group’s keystone kiwifruit varieties allow it to dominate the New Zealand fruit and vegetable wholesaling market. Its vertical structure saves costs and bolsters its e...

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 Zespri's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Zespri, 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

Apparent fruit and vegetable consumption heavily affects wholesaler volumes. Rising health consciousness is reinforcing these trends, to the delight of the wholesaling indust...

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

Profit margins have waned over the past five years. Fruit and vegetable wholesalers have faced pressure from increasing retail price competition and volatile upstream costs.

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 Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand in 2024?

The market size of the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand is $8.7bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand industry in 2024?

There are 209 businesses in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.9 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand has been declining at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling market in New Zealand?

The biggest company operating in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling market in New Zealand is Zespri

What does the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand include?

Root vegetables and Fruit vegetables are part of the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in New Zealand?

The company holding the most market share in New Zealand is Zespri.

How competitive is the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling industry in New Zealand.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Soft Drink and Pre-Packaged Food Wholesaling in New Zealand
  • General Line Grocery Wholesaling in New Zealand

Complementors

  • Fruit and Vegetable Processing in New Zealand
  • Supermarkets, Grocery Stores and Convenience Stores in New Zealand

International industries

  • Frozen Food Wholesaling in the US
  • Fruit & Vegetable Wholesaling in the US
  • Fruit & Vegetable Wholesaling in Canada
  • Fruit and Vegetable Wholesaling in Australia
  • Fruit & Vegetable Wholesaling in the UK

View all industries in New Zealand

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 New Zealand include:

  • Statistics New Zealand
  • New Zealand Company Register
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

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.

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