Global food retail market to grow at a CAGR of 5.5%

The performance of the global food retail market is expected to decelerate between now and 2016, with the industry growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%, to reach a total market value of $6,990.7 billion.

In 2011, the global food retail market was expected to generate a total revenue of $5,338.8 billion, representing a CAGR of 5.7% between 2007 and 2011.

The global food retail market includes the retail sales of all food products, both packaged and unpackaged, as well as beverages (including retail sales of all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages).

In 2012 the top-10 players dominating the global food retail market were: Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Tesco, Metro Group, Schwarz Group, Kroger Co, Costco, Aldi, Target Corp, and Rewe Group. Wal-Mart represented the global leader for the industry with 10,130 global stores and sales revenue of $443.9 billion. Wal-Mart International is the company's growth engine, with sales expanding 11.5% per year.

Sales generated through hypermarket, supermarket, and discounters was expected to be the most lucrative for the global food retail market in 2011, with total revenues of $2,475.3 billion, equivalent to 46.4% of the market's overall value.

Much higher annual rates of growth will be realised in the emerging markets of China, India, Russia, and Brazil (commonly referred to as the BRIC) which will move up the ranks of the largest food retailing nations in the world.

In fact, with annual sales of $914 billion in 2011, China has overtaken the United States (annual sales $887 billion in 2011) as the world's largest food retail market, and by 2015 it has been forecast that all BRIC countries will be in the top five grocery markets.

For more information on the global food retail market, see the latest research: Global Food Retail Market Report

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