2005 Industry wide Survey Results

Discover what chefs, restaurant owners, food distributors and suppliers say are the key issues for their business in 2005.

Every year we conduct this research to help us do a better job at delivering what our customers need, while also helping the industry to be more profitable and successful.

This survey was commissioned by Food Industry News to professionals in the Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin food industry. The results have been tabulated by the certified public accounting firm of Virchow Krause & Company

Food Industry News had no involvement in the mailing or tabulation of the enclosed results.

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What Restaurant Operators Say: (From our recent surveys)

• 52% plan to rehab or expand in 2005.

• 98.6% say Food Industry News contains useful and interesting information.

• 71.3% say they use our ad directories to make buying decisions.

• 82.3% use our directories to find purveyors, suppliers and distributors.

• 81.5% say the listings and ads in Food Industry News make it easier and more convenient for them to contact their suppliers.

• 52.8% plan to add more ethnic items to their menus.

• 82.3% have less time today to spend with sales reps. than five years ago.

• 93.5% keep and use our publications for reference, the bulletin board and the training of Staff.

What Suppliers, Distributors and Service Firms Say: (From our recent surveys)

• 76.3% say it’s harder today to get new customers.

• 41% say the increased the number of cash & carry wholesalers and changes in buying patterns hurt their business.

• 70.5% find less customer loyalty than in the past.

• 34.8% lose 15 percent of their customer base every year due to closings, bankruptcies, new owners, credit problems and poor sales forces.

•  41.9% feel that competition today is too stiff.

•  96.9% feel the Food Industry News gives its advertisers the edge.

•  42.5% think about advertising in Food Industry News to increase their penetration for new business.

•  37% are increasing their advertising in order to attract new business.

•  85.1% say their customers are more demanding today than they were five years ago.

What Chefs, Grocery and Hotel Operators Say:(From our recent surveys)

• 91.9% say Food Industry News is a “must read” publication for them. 

• 87% say today’s economic environment has them shopping for new suppliers and better prices. 

• 97.6% like the format that we use in Food Industry News. 

• 54.5% have purchasing influence for more than one unit. 

• 78.8% say that our pocket directory and newspaper directory is useful in conducting their business. 

• 96% say serving higher quality products is now more important to them.

• 75.7% prefer to buy from independently owned supplier firms rather than huge conglomerates.

• 60.5% use cash and carry outlets to purchase product for their business 

• 72.4% are spending more time on buying decisions.

The above numbers are from thousands surveyed in 2005 by the accounting firm of Virchow Krause & Company for Food Industry News

(Complete survey results with over 200 industry-related questions appear annually in Food Industry News)