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General Line Grocery Wholesaling in Australia Industry Data and Analysis
Long-term shifts in vertical integration and the rise of supermarket-owned supply chains have reshaped the general line grocery wholesaling landscape. Major chains like Coles, Aldi and Woolworths aggressively leverage scale to undercut independent wholesale prices, intensifying competition and squeezing profit margins. Pandemic disruptions further complicated performance by shuttering or limiting dine-in food services, though pent-up demand helped fuel a partial rebound. Inflationary pressures on produce, meat and dairy prompted operators to pass on costs to preserve margins. However, oversupply in select livestock segments has recently forced prices downwards, showcasing these markets’ volatility and hurting revenue. Overall, industry revenue is anticipated to have risen at an annualised 0.4% over the past five years and is expected to total $31.5 billion in 2024-25, when revenue will drop by an estimated 1.1%.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released May 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia operates under the ANZSIC industry code F3601. Industry operators wholesale a range of general groceries to a variety of markets, including supermarkets, convenience stores and food-service establishments. The industry includes firms that wholesale at least three of the following grocery lines: meat, poultry and smallgoods; dairy produce; fish and seafood; fruit and vegetables; liquor or tobacco; and confectionery or soft drinks. Related terms covered in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia include wholesale bypass, food-service establishments and independent retailer.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia include Meat, poultry, fish and smallgoods, Dairy produce and Fruit and vegetables.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia include Metcash, PFD Food Services and Bidfood.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia in 2026?
The market size of the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia is $31.5bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia in 2025?
There are 683 businesses in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 6.8 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia?
The General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia 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 General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia?
The General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia are Metcash, PFD Food Services and Bidfood
What does the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia include?
Meat, poultry, fish and smallgoods and Dairy produce are part of the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia.
Which companies have the highest market share in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia is Metcash.
How competitive is the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the General Line Grocery Wholesaling industry in Australia.
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