Studies of Distribution Channels in European Countries

Distribution is a key element in the foodservice value chain. More concentrated distribution channels in Northern Europe whereas they are more fragmented in the South of Europe: they represent a multitude of entry points into the market to be well targeted in order to be efficient.

GIRA Foodservice offers a detailed analysis of the following agents in each country studied:

• specialist restaurant and catering wholesalers: these are primarily food product and beverage distributors and, in some countries, also include wholesalers that offer the full range of products required by a catering outlet or restaurant ("Full Line Providers")
• food product wholesalers: national wholesalers that distribute groceries and frozen products - the FOODSERVICE market accounts for the majority of their business. For fresh/refrigerated products, however, the majority of distributors use both the Foodservice market and local suppliers
• non-food product wholesalers: these wholesalers primarily distribute maintenance/hygiene products, as well as small items of hotel equipment
• cash & carry outlets: these essential outlets are found everywhere, offering a full range of food products, beverages, non-food products and equipment. Although the system is primarily based on customers visiting outlets, the current trend is to offer additional services, including "Drive" services (pre-order and pickup) and, more recently, "Delivery" services.

GIRA Foodservice creates detailed profiles of the key operators in each country and draws up distribution chain grids for each type of distributor.

• An operational tool to identify the accurate distribution channels by product categories in each country
• A competitive intelligence tool for the distributors willing to reinforce their position in Europe

GIRA Foodservice covers the following countries for this sector:

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