Both consumers and foodservice professionals alike share concerns over foodborne illnesses and preventing such outbreaks. The cleanliness of food preparation areas, surfaces, and wares used to prepare and serve food are of utmost importance. In fact, food safety compliance was the single most important issue among over 700 foodservice professional respondents surveyed recently by Kline. Employee training was a close second in terms of importance with other trends, such as minimum wage increases, Internet of Things, green cleaning, labor saving devices, and the impact of social media on their business, such as Yelp, Open Table, and online reviews being of secondary importance.
The foodservice cleaning products market has grown about 2.4% per year over the past four years to reach nearly $3 billion at the end-user level, according to Kline’s just-published Foodservice Cleaning Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities study. Fast-food and fast-casual restaurants represent the fastest growing end use segments; however, full-service restaurants account for the lion’s share of sales. Lodging establishments are another large user of foodservice cleaning chemicals. The survey includes a full analysis of 13 end uses, including restaurants, lodging, healthcare, schools, colleges, recreational facilities, government, industrial facilities, and office buildings.
Given that the vast majority of full-service restaurants are small, independent businesses, growth of sales through retailers has grown significantly in the recent past. While foodservice distributors like US Foods, Sysco, and Gordon continue to account for about half of this market’s sales, total retail sales have grown from about 18% of sales in 2013 to nearly 25% of sales in 2017. This includes sales to foodservice professionals via brick-and-mortar stores and online sites of warehouse clubs, grocery stores, mass merchandisers, home improvement stores, office supply stores, cash & carry retailers, and independent online sources, such as Amazon.com. “Convenience is king, and for restaurant and small business owners that often means the convenience of one-stop shopping for kitchen cleaning products, as well as food and other supplies they need to efficiently run their businesses,” says Laura Mahecha, Industry Manager of Kline’s Industrial & Institutional Cleaning practice.
As part of Kline’s Foodservice Cleaning Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities study, we surveyed over 700 end users and conducted about 75 in-depth discussions with chemical suppliers and foodservice distributors about these and other important issues impacting their business. This study provides robust and in-depth analysis of major product categories, distribution channels, warewash machinery, and the critical issues affecting the market, including food safety compliance, online sales, minimum wage increases, and technology-enabled efficiency and automation. For more information, contact us.
