What happened when Sysco chose to ramp up its sustainability efforts? It created powerful opportunities for cost cutting and growth—for both the company and its clients.
How We Help Clients in the Foodservice Distribution Industry
Every foodservice distribution player runs on three connected activities: what they buy, how it’s moved, and how it’s sold. A decision in one area will show up quickly as a cost, a service issue, or a margin opportunity elsewhere. BCG’s foodservice consulting teams treat these actions as one interconnected system, identifying opportunities across functions to create greater value.
Our foodservice consultants start with a rapid, data-driven diagnostic that locates where value sits across buy, move, and sell. BCG and client teams execute together, progressively transferring ownership from BCG's foodservice consulting teams and building the client's capabilities to sustain results.
Our foodservice consultants start with a rapid, data-driven diagnostic that locates where value sits across buy, move, and sell. BCG and client teams execute together, progressively transferring ownership from BCG's foodservice consulting teams and building the client's capabilities to sustain results.
4-6
Percentage points of EBITDA improvement
100+
Foodservice distribution projects delivered in the past five years
>50%
of the world’s leading food distributors have worked with BCG in the past five years
During this work, AI and advanced analytics, operating model and SG&A, M&A and post-merger integration, and sustainability can support transformation throughout the business. Together, these capabilities strengthen the technology, organization, integration, and sustainability foundations that support value creation across buy, move, and sell.
Buy
We help distributors strengthen decisions about what they buy, and how they buy it. Our work supports merchandising teams, and spans category and sourcing strategies focused on COGS, cost management, assortment, and private label strategies that drive customer share and expand margins.
Move
We improve how products flow from suppliers through distribution centers and to customers. Our end-to-end supply chain work connects sourcing, inventory management and replenishment, warehouse operations, and outbound. We optimize demand planning, improve visibility in the supply chain, and deliver optimal service levels to end customers. Through warehouse operational excellence and workforce management, we increase warehouse throughput, optimize labor scheduling and productivity, and drive automation.
Sell
We strengthen how distributors serve and grow their business from independent customers to chains and national accounts. Our pricing strategy work uses customer segmentation and cost-to-serve analytics to support more precise, differentiated pricing decisions and respond to changes in input costs and demand. We also help align sales teams and commercial activation around the customers they serve and the products and services they offer to drive profitable growth.
Our Clients' Impact in the Foodservice Distribution Industry
$10 million
in savings
A global food distributor sought to reduce packaging and plastics while protecting product quality and minimizing food waste. BCG helped establish its packaging baseline, define its ambition and roadmap, and activate key initiatives. The work included transitioning bleached corrugate to more sustainable materials, generating more than $10 million in savings.
100+
basis points of uplift
A major US grocery distributor sought to increase supplier funding while creating a stronger value proposition for suppliers. BCG helped design and implement tailored programs across its supplier base, combining new benefits with targeted supplier engagement. The programs generated 100+ basis points of uplift on average in grocery distribution.
Our Insights on the Foodservice Distribution Industry
Article
2024年2月6日
With parallels to the complexities of building a house, BCG’s approach to transforming a supply chain emphasizes the importance of coordination, digital enablement, and speed.
In this short film, two experts share a meal to discuss the roles that corporations and individuals have to play in creating a more sustainable food system.
Our Foodservice Distribution Team
Our foodservice distribution consultants bring experience across the interconnected challenges of buy, move, and sell, working with distributors to identify opportunities, improve performance, and build capabilities for profitable growth.
