MAFSI Again Reports Modest Sales Growth

MAFSI posted overall foodservice sales for Q3/25 and offered a glimpse ahead to 2026 in its latest Business Barometer. Q3/25 sales improved to 2.1% versus 1.6% in Q2/25 and just short of the forecast of 2.7%. This was the second consecutive modest gain in quarterly sales. Over the past seven quarters, sales were 0.0%, -1.0%, -0.6%, 0.2%, 0.0%, 1.6% and now 2.1%.

“The market has moved to slightly positive ground after 15 months of negative growth,” Michael Posternak, chairman and CFO of PBAC 3.0 (formerly PBAC Associates), Eastchester, N.Y., writes in the executive summary. “Fears of disruptive tariffs appear to be abating, the Energy Star program looks like it might survive and manufacturers’ growth expectations are more modest.”

In Q3/25, tabletop (3.3%) saw the biggest percentage change compared with Q3/24, followed by furniture (2.6%), equipment (1.9%) and supply (1.5%). By region, the Midwest (3.0%) had the biggest gain, followed by South and Northeast (2.9%), Canada (0.7%) and West (-1.4%).

The forecast for Q4/25 is 1.7% and a preliminary forecast for 2026 is optimistically set for 4.3%.

For a closer look at the Business Barometer, visit MAFSI’s website HERE.

Segment Snapshot

As part of its industry market forecast report for 2026, MAFSI states the Top 5 fastest growing segments, ranked from most growth to least, in North America include the following:

1. Schools (K-12)
2. Healthcare
3. Chain accounts
4. Convenience stories
5. Colleges and universities