The New Dynamics of Produce Buying & Selling The 2001 Becker Forum February 12, 2001 Research Conducted by Food Industry Management Program at Cornell University Wen-fei Uva Dept. of Applied Economics and Management Cornell University Modified by Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office
RetailIndustry Structure... …fewer buyers??
Supermarket Structure % of total sales Sales of Top 8 Chains as a % of Total Grocery Sales
Top Line Kroger (28.2) Fred Meyer (14.9) 43.1 Albertson’s (16.0) American Stores (19.7) 35.7 Buttrey (0.4) Sessells (0.2) Safeway (23.7) Dominicks (2.3) 26.5 Carr Gottstein (0.5) Ahold (14.3) Giant Food (4.2) 18.5 Recent deals AcquirerAcquiredCombined value $B
Supermarket Structure Percent of sales Top 10 Firms as % of Total Sales...by country Percent of total sales
Wal-Mart Sales,
Wal-Mart Stores, 1999
Source: Bill Bishop, Kraft Extrapolations * Projected * Food Manufacturer Sales Top 20 Customers
DepartmentProfile
Top Line Produce departments are growing at a faster rate than supermarkets: sales space SKUs Compression of SKUs currently-- intensifying in the future department profile MOREPRODUCE=GREATERPROFITS
Produce Sales percent of total store sales
Department Size square feet Average increase from 46% small firms 40% mid-size firms 29% large firms
SKUs *McLaughlin & Perosio (1994)
Top Line Buyers more focused on supply side-- negotiations, procurement & logistics, NOT demand side-- merchandising and consumers the buying process
Produce Buyers number of buyers per firm Responsibilities Responsibilities 4 4 supplier interaction 4 4 order entry 4 4 price changes 4 4 invoice problems 4 4 store level assistance
Sources Over Time percent of produce purchases
Sources by Firm Size percent of produce purchases
“Spot Buying” percent of produce purchases
Contracts
SupplierProfile
Concentration importance of retailers’ top 10 suppliers
Top Line Sales of Top 10 & Top 20 WA State Apple Shippers percent of total sales
Produce Suppliers “Average” firm 219 suppliers today BUT decreasing to 208 by 2004
Preferred Supplier Attributes Top Five Attributes delivers consistent quality consistent on-time delivery price protection on rising markets offers PLUs/UPC coding large supply to fill majority of stores Year-round product availability not very impt very impt
Technology
Electronic Technology percent of produce purchases using
Bottom Line Expand control consolidate horizontally integrate vertically Develop new products hybrids, niches, packaging Undertake demand expansion programs Adopt cost reducing technologies Develop new distribution systems Grower/Shipper Strategic Responses