Reps’ Sales Rise 5.7% In Second Quarter, MAFSI Reports

The recovery of the foodservice equipment and supplies market continued through the second quarter, according to the latest data from the Business Barometer maintained by the Manufacturer’s Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry. Overall rep sales for like lines rose 5.7% in the quarter versus the year-prior quarter, the group reported. Sales of all four product categories and in all five regions posted gains. And the increase exceeded that of the first quarter, when sales rose 4%. It was the third consecutive increase for the Barometer.

 “While all the losses of the Great Foodservice Recession have not yet been recovered,” wrote Michael Posternak, principal at Posternak, Bauer, Aitkenhead, Cantamessa in Eastchester, N.Y., and founder of the Barometer, “the rebound has been quite strong during this upswing.”

Equipment and furnishings sales posted strong gains in the quarter. Furnishings sales rose 7.9% while equipment sales were up 6.9%. Sales of supplies gained 4.1% and those of tabletop products 2.2%. Canada saw an 8.1% gain in overall sales, while the Northeast was up 7.3%, the Midwest 6.6%, the West 5.5% and the South 2.4%.

In response to the survey’s special questions, reps reported higher levels of both quotations and consultant activity. Those surveyed forecasted a 4.8% gain in the third quarter, in spite of the recent economic gyrations.