2025 U.S. Industry Statistics & Market Forecast - Specialty Food Stores

Published: September 2025

Industry Insights

Major trends affect the Specialty Food Stores industry include:

1. Rising demand for organic and natural products
2. Ethnic and global cuisine popularity
3. E-commerce and online shopping growth
4. Increased focus on health and wellness
5. Sustainable and ethical sourcing
6. Expansion of premium and artisanal products
7. Personalization and customization in product offerings
8. Use of technology for enhanced customer experience
9. Impact of dietary trends such as keto, paleo, and vegan
10. Emphasis on convenience and ready-to-eat meals
11. Local sourcing and support for small/micro producers
12. Growth in plant-based and alternative protein products
13. Challenges due to supply chain disruptions
14. Influence of social media on consumer choices

Product & Services Breakdown

Research products and services in the Specialty Food Stores industry generating sales. Note that products are broken into categories with different levels of classification.

Product Description	Number of Companies	Sales ($ millions)	Percent of Total Sales
Industry Total
Groceries & Other Food Items For Human Consumption Off The Premises
Produce, Including Fresh & Prepackaged Fruits & Vegetables
Frozen Foods, Including Packaged Foods Sold In A Frozen State
Dairy Products & Related Foods, Including Milk, Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, Eggs.
Bakery Products Not Baked On The Premises, Excluding Frozen
Delicatessen Items, Including Deli Meats & Other Service Deli Items
Meat & Poultry, Including Prepackaged Meats
Fish & Seafood, Including Refrigerated Prepackaged Fish & Seafood
Candy, Prepackaged Cookies, & Snack Foods
Bottled, Canned, Or Packaged Soft Drinks & Other Nonalcoholic Beverages
All Other Groceries & Food Items
Lawn, Garden, & Farm Equipment & Supplies
Meals, Unpackaged Snacks, Sandwiches, Unpackaged Ice Cream & Yogurt, Bakery Items, Other Food Items & Nonalcoholic Beverages Prepared
All Other Meals & Snacks, Including Hot Coffee, Fountain Drinks & Prepared Sandwiches.

U.S. Geographic Distribution: Revenue Statistics by State

Market Size by State ($ millions) indicates how the industry's competition is distributed throughout the country. State-level information can identify areas with higher and lower industry market share than average.

Income Statement (Average Financial Metrics)

Financial metrics provide a snapshot view of a benchmark "average" company. Key business metrics show revenue and operating costs. The data collected covers both public and private companies.

	Industry Average	Percent of Sales (Industry Benchmark)
Total Revenue	Order at top of page
Operating Revenue
Cost of Goods Sold
Gross Profit
Operating Expenses
Pension, profit sharing plans, stock, annuity
Repairs
Rent paid on business property
Charitable Contributions
Depletion
Domestic production activities deduction
Advertising
Compensation of officers
Salaries and wages
Employee benefit programs
Taxes and Licenses
Bad Debts
Depreciation
Amortization
Other Operating Expenses
Total Operating Expenses
Operating Income
Non-Operating Income
EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes)
Interest Expense
Earnings Before Taxes
Income Tax
Net Profit Net Income

Source: AnythingResearch Analysis of U.S. federal statistics

Compensation & Salary Surveys for Employees

Compensation statistics provides an accurate assessment of industry-specific jobs and national salary averages. This information can be used to identify which positions are most common, and high, low, and average annual wages.

Title	Percent of Workforce	Bottom Quartile	Average (Median) Salary	Upper Quartile
Management Occupations	2%	Order at top of page
Chief Executives	0%
General and Operations Managers	2%
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations	12%
Cooks and Food Preparation Workers	6%
Food Preparation Workers	6%
Food Preparation Workers	6%
Sales and Related Occupations	39%
Supervisors of Sales Workers	5%
First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers	5%
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	5%
Retail Sales Workers	33%
Cashiers	28%
Cashiers	28%
Office and Administrative Support Occupations	7%
Production Occupations	7%
Food Processing Workers	6%
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations	28%
Material Moving Workers	25%
Laborers and Material Movers	25%
Stockers and Order Fillers	21%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Specialty Food Stores Competitor Landscape & Key Companies [PREMIUM]

The most influential companies in the Specialty Food Stores industry and adjacent industries either have large market share or are developing new business models and methods that could disrupt the status quo. We look at leading and emerging companies in the Specialty Food Stores industry and adjacent sectors:

Market Leaders: Direct Competitors Companies with the largest market share, focused in this industry	Market leaders: Diversified Competitors Largest companies that have diversified operations in this and other industries
Innovators: Direct Competitors Innovative, Emerging, and Disruptive Companies that may influence the future direction of the industry.	Innovators: Diversified Competitors Innovators and Disruptors in adjacent industries that may also affect the Specialty Food Stores industry.

Latest Industry News

• 15 Canadian Foods That Could Be Wiped Off U.S. Shelves Overnight - Beloved grocery items like maple syrup and butter tarts may disappear from shelves—here’s what you didn’t know came from Canada. (07/08/2025)
• A $400 pineapple? Here’s what’s coming for grocery shoppers with gourmet tastes. - At the Fancy Food Show, the big trade event for gourmet fare, noteworthy products also included quail eggs, Indian-spiced potato chips and the sweet treat known as Dubai chocolate. (07/08/2025)
• Tariffs driving up costs at Modesto specialty grocery stores, owners say - From masalas to Indian cookware, Indian Grocery and Chaat has been a staple for South Asian families, those hoping to make Indian dishes at home, or anyone looking to grab a bite at its in-store restaurant. (07/08/2025)
• Yumame Foods Partners with Le Patron to Innovate Gourmet Plant-Based Foods Through Fermentation - FoodTech startup Yumame Foods and the established food company Le Patron have entered into a strategic collaboration aimed at developing plant-based food (07/08/2025)
• Magson’s ?130+ Cr Leap: Goa Acquisition Marks New Chapter for Gourmet Retailer - With 41 stores across 4 states and ?130+ crore in combined revenues, Magson founded by Raaj Maganlal in the year 1980, is now poised to redefine premium food retail in India. The acquisition of Goa-based Magsons Supercentre brings gourmet, (07/08/2025)
• Some have plan for when Trump tariffs grip CT specialty stores more than others: Keep shopping. - A shopper who said he’ll keep coming if tariffs cause price increases: “It is what it is. Just like gas prices, milk prices, everything. What are you gonna do?” (07/07/2025)
• From mustard makeovers to beef tallow, six food and beverage trends that could take over - Fancy Foods Show, hosted by the Specialty Foods Association, returned to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. (07/04/2025)
• An Inside Look At the Best Snack Trends at The Summer Fancy Food Show - Prescriptive language about health dominated the show floor. I encountered an ice cream pint loaded with 40 grams of protein, protein sprinkles (yes, really), and a cottage-cheese-packed Buffalo chicken dip. Beyond traditional fermented foods like kefir and kimchi, a plethora of other products were packaged with a “gut-healthy” label. (07/02/2025)
• BGL Sells Specialty Bakers Brand To HC Private Investments - Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) has sold Specialty Bakers, a provider of branded and private label baked goods, to HC Private Investments. (06/29/2025)
• Saval Foods Acquires Pastore’s Italian Wholesale Distributor - Saval Foods LLC has acquired Pastore’s Italian Wholesale Distributor, a move that “brings together two historic family-owned Baltimore businesses and creates new opportunities to expand on [Pastore’s] Sun of Italy brand while enhancing Saval’s existing portfolio of Italian offerings for foodservice customers,” noted Saval in a statement. (06/26/2025)