Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2016-2031)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $9.3bn in 2026.
Trends and Insights
Investment in automation drives up barriers to entry
- Businesses increasingly rely on cloud computing and automated storage systems to circumvent traditional manual labor in storage facilities. Temperature sensors, RFID tags with integrated temperature monitoring and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) help manage inventory with minimal human intervention. These technologies enable real-time tracking of product location, temperature compliance and inventory accuracy while reducing the time employees spend in freezer conditions.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2026-2031)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Higher agricultural production is likely to offset downward pressure on revenue
- Americold reported a drop in revenue from the nine months ended September 30, 2025. Economic and actual physical occupancy fell during this period. This contributed to lower utilization rates in November and December 2025. Consumer spending growth slowed in 2025 because of weaker hiring and tariff-driven inflation. Downstream retailers also reduced inventory levels and postponed expansion plans. These factors are likely to slow consumer spending in 2026. After several years of consistent rate increases, growth in cold storage rates and revenue is likely to slow in 2026.
Biggest companies in the Refrigerated Storage in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2026 | Revenue ($m)
2026 | Profit ($m)
2026 | Profit Margin (%)
2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lineage Logistics Holdings, Llc | 2,788.6 | 62.9 | 2.3 | |
Americold Realty Trust | 1,891.4 | 631.2 | 33.4 | |
United States Cold Storage Inc. | 573.2 | -0.7 | -0.1 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Storage of goods, Handling of goods and Transportation of goods. Storage of goods is the largest segment of the Refrigerated Storage in the US.
Trends and Insights
Online food sales and resilient economic activity increase the need to store goods
- Retailers, wholesalers, importers and exporters outsource storage services to specialized storage providers. Refrigerated warehousing services can vary in duration and temperature, from the short-term storage of fresh fruit and vegetables to the extended sub-zero storage of frozen products.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The Refrigerated Storage industry consists of companies that manage refrigerated warehousing and storage facilities. They provide temperature-controlled services like blast freezing and tempering, along with specialized storage for furs intended for trade. The stored furs serve as raw materials for manufacturing garments and personal accessories, including bags and shoes.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States include Providing blast freezing services, Providing tempering services and Operating modified atmosphere storage and warehousing (private and public).Companies
Companies covered in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States include Lineage Logistics Holdings, Llc, Americold Realty Trust and United States Cold Storage Inc.Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States include radio-frequency identification (rfid), third-party logistics provider (3pl), order picking and blast freezing.Industry Code
NAICS 49312 - Refrigerated Storage in the US
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
Automation investments are raising barriers to entry while improving profit. Temperature sensors, RFID tags and automated storage systems enable real-time inventory tracking ...
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 (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Employees, including historical (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Businesses, including historical (2016-2025) and forecast (2026-2031)
- Profit, including historical (2016-2026)
- 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 manufacturers remain the largest market despite tariffs on grains and geopolitical tensions. Global tensions are creating transportation bottlenecks that require reliabl...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2026
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2026
- Major market segmentation in 2026
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 Southeast leads in refrigerated storage because of strategic port locations and infrastructure. Dense highways and railroads connect facilities to the Port of Miami, Sava...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2026
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2026
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2026
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2026
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2026
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, 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
Large cold storage providers acquire smaller competitors to improve economies of scale and raise barriers to entry. Lineage controls a significant share of the cold storage m...
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 2021-2026
- 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
Lineage Logistics raised $4.4 billion in 2024's largest IPO to fund expansion. Public market access strengthens the competitive edge against smaller, privately owned provider...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2022 through 2026
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2026
- Overview of Lineage Logistics Holdings, Llc's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2020 through 2026
- Overview of Americold Realty Trust's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2020 through 2026
- Overview of United States Cold Storage Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2020 through 2026
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Lineage Logistics Holdings, Llc, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Americold Realty Trust, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for United States Cold Storage Inc., 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
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) oversees cold storage operations. It also regulates and enforces health standards regarding the nation's commercial supply of me...
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 (2016-2031)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2016-2031)
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
Wages are the most significant costs for businesses offering refrigerated storage services. Providers rely heavily on manual labor to monitor facilities, send and retrieve it...
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 2026
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2026
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2019-2024)
- Industry Tax Structure (2019-2024)
- Income Statement (2019-2024)
- Balance Sheet (2019-2024)
- Liquidity Ratios (2019-2024)
- Coverage Ratios (2019-2024)
- Leverage Ratios (2019-2024)
- Operating Ratios (2019-2024)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2016-2031)
- Revenue per Employee (2016-2031)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- Employees per Establishment (2016-2031)
- Employees per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- Average Wage (2016-2031)
- Wages/Revenue (2016-2031)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2016-2031)
- IVA/Revenue (2016-2031)
- Imports/Demand (2016-2031)
- Exports/Revenue (2016-2031)
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 (2016-2031)
- IVA (2016-2031)
- Establishments (2016-2031)
- Enterprises (2016-2031)
- Employment (2016-2031)
- Exports (2016-2031)
- Imports (2016-2031)
- Wages (2016-2031)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States is $9.3bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States in 2026?
There are 1,138 businesses in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 12.8 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States?
The Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States?
The Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States are Lineage Logistics Holdings, Llc, Americold Realty Trust and United States Cold Storage Inc.
What does the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States include?
Providing blast freezing services and Providing tempering services are part of the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States is Lineage Logistics Holdings, Llc.
How competitive is the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Refrigerated Storage industry in the United States.
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 the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
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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