The study analyses the wholesale sector in fisheries and aquaculture products (FAPs) in the EU, with a focus on a selection of Member States.
Wholesalers are B2B operators who play a crucial role in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors by aggregating and distributing products from various producers to buyers such as restaurants and retailers, effectively connecting sellers with buyers. They facilitate market access both domestically and internationally and are essential for logistics and cold chain management. Wholesalers also handle traceability and compliance to meet regulatory and customer demands for transparency and sustainability.
While there is a shared understanding of the term wholesalers across the countries analysed in this study, differences exist regarding their roles within the supply chain (e.g., types of suppliers and customers) and the scope of their activities (e.g., strictly wholesaling versus including activities such as processing or distribution).
There is a strong network of wholesalers in Spain, Italy and France, predominantly micro and small enterprises, especially in Italy and Spain. Along with Germany, these countries are characterised by the presence of well-established wholesale markets, which play a crucial role in the fisheries sector, in terms of logistics, quality, transparency, etc.
In contrast, in countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, wholesalers in the strict sense of the term are less present, due to a strong vertical integration and the dominance of larger companies covering multiple supply chain stages. Wholesale markets are not present in these countries (except one wholesale market in Denmark).
Across Member States, wholesalers are increasingly diversifying their operations. Even in countries where small enterprises are predominant such as Italy, Spain and France, wholesalers are integrating processing activities such as filleting, cooking, and freezing to meet the growing demand for ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products, leading to an overlap with other operators and activities within the supply chain.
The evolution of the sector from highly specialised companies focused on a single activity to multiactivity companies combining various operations makes the definition of a specific NACE1 code for wholesaling activities less meaningful. Consequently, the number of enterprises recorded under the NACE code for wholesalers often fails to provide an accurate overview of the wholesale sector.
Additionally, there is a strong trend towards sector concentration with larger companies optimising costs and increasing bargaining power.