Comprehensive, highly researched and accurate studies documenting distributor sales are a rarity in the janitorial supply and cleaning equipment industry. That’s why Sanitary Maintenance magazine and the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) team up every other year to bring you the results of their joint survey. These results are detailed in a report, “2002 Sanitary Supply Distributor Sales,” and also published here for our readers’ convenience.

The 2002 numbers show an industry that, despite the economic challenges it faces, is growing significantly. In fact, distributor sales rose 7.7 percent from 2000 to 2002 — a $1.5 billion increase.

Other facets of distributor sales have remained relatively unchanged since the last time the study was conducted in 2000. The majority of distributors (55.7 percent) still sell locally, or within a 60-mile radius. Towels/facial tissue and toilet tissue still account for the largest dollar volume ($3.7 billion) compared with other product categories, and the largest customer segment continues to be the Industrial segment, accounting for $2.89 billion in sales.

Note: This study was designed, prepared and conducted by the Research Department of Trade Press Publishing Corp., publisher of Sanitary Maintenance magazine, in conjunction with the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA). Its primary purpose was to gather information on distributor sales of chemicals, power equipment, paper/plastic products and supplies/accessories. Data shown in this report was derived from non-duplicated questionnaires returned from a random sample of U.S. Sanitary Maintenance readers and ISSA members. Projected market totals were computed using weighted means. Dollar figures represent sales by distributors after markup. Estimates for manufacturer sales are difficult to make based on these figures since markup varies from category to category and from one distributor to another.

2002 Distributor Sales Volume

TOTAL SALES - $21,100,000,000
Percentage of Total
Paper/Plastics $8,798,700,000 41.7%
Chemicals $7,638,200,000 36.2%
Supplies & Accessories $2,363,200,000 11.2%
Power Equipment $1,477,000,000 7.0%
Other Janitorial Products $822,900,000 3.9%

Distributor Sales by Market Segment
Total: $21.1 Billion
Industrial (manufacturing plants, food processing, utilities, warehouses) $2,890,700,000 13.7%
Contract Cleaners $2,601,700,000 12.3%
Commercial (office buildings, property management firms) $2,553,100,000 12.1%
Health Care (hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, medical offices, dental offices) $2,532,000,000 12.0%
Educational (schools, colleges/universities) $2,426,500,000 11.5%
Restaurants/Clubs (stand-alone, country clubs) $2,004,500,000 9.5%
Retail (grocery, shopping malls, department stores, auto dealers, misc. retail) $1,899,000,000 9.0%
Hotels/Motels $1,329,300,000 6.3%
Governmental (municipal, county, state, federal) $1,244,900,000 5.9%
Transportation (airports, public transit, bus and rail stations) $537,600,000 2.6%
Residential (apartment buildings, condominiums) $511,000,000 2.4%
Religious (churches, convents, etc., excluding hospitals & schools) $379,800,000 1.8%
Recreation (stadiums, health clubs, movie theaters, casinos, bowling alleys) $189,900,000 0.9%

Additional Sales Information

Source of Orders
Verbal Phone 32.5%
Verbal in Person 28.4%
Fax 13.1%
Internet 7.1%
Standing order 8.5%
Other 10.4%

Number of
Salespeople Employed
Inside Salespeople 3
Outside Salespeople 5

2002 Average
Gross Margin
Chemicals 40.3%
Supplies/Accessories 30.6%
Paper/Plastics 30.2%
Power Equipment 27.0%
Other Products 29.9%

Breakdown of 2002 Product Sales

2002 Power Equipment Sales - $1,477,000,000
Percentage of Total
Automatic Scrubbers $246,659,000 16.7%
Battery Powered Floor Machines (polishers/burnishers) $75,327,000 5.1%
Carpet Extractors $200,872,000 13.6%
Electric (Corded) Powered Floor Machines (polishers/burnishers) $234,843,000 15.9%
Pressure Washers $25,109,000 1.7%
Propane Powered Floor Machines $56,126,000 3.8%
Power Sweepers $36,925,000 2.5%
Replacement Parts $147,700,000 10.0%
Ultrasonic Cleaners $1,477,000 0.1%
Vacuums (backpack) $60,557,000 4.1%
Vacuums (tank and wet/dry) $41,356,000 2.8%
Vacuums (upright, wide area) $267,337,000 18.1%
Other Power Equipment not listed above $82,712,000 5.6%

2002 Chemical Sales - $7,638,200,000
Bench Products (lubricants, solvents, parts cleaner, cutting fluids) $412,462,800 5.4%
Bio Enzymes (drain openers/drain cleaners, etc.) $206,231,400 2.7%
Carpet Care Chemicals (shampoos, pretreats, spotters, etc.) $542,312,200 7.1%
Cleaners & Degreasers (glass, wall) $1,161,006,400 15.2%
Disinfectants & Sanitizers (bowl/porcelain cleaners, etc.). $771,458,200 10.1%
Hand Cleaners (bar, liquid, powder, etc.) $901,307,600 11.8%
Ice Melts $420,101,000 5.5%
Insecticides, Herbicides & Pesticides $53,467,400 0.7%
Laundry Detergents $244,422,400 3.2%
Odor Control (blocks, liquids, gels) $374,271,800 4.9%
Pool/Spa Care Products $38,191,000 0.5%
Resilient & Hard Floor Chemicals (strippers, neutralizers, seals, finishers, restorers, spray buffs, etc.) $1,688,042,200 22.1%
Warewash Chemicals $236,784,200 3.1%
Water Treatment Chemicals $22,914,600 0.3%
Other chemicals not listed above $565,226,800 7.4%

2002 Supplies/Accessories - $2,363,200,000
Absorbents/Spill Containment $51,990,400 2.2%
Brooms & Brushes $252,862,400 10.7%
Dusters, Dust Mops, & Applicator Pads $241,046,400 10.2%
Floor Pads $255,225,600 10.8%
Floor Machine Brushes $49,627,200 2.1%
Gloves (lightweight, disposable, safety) $215,051,200 9.1%
Hand Tools (scrapers, screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, flashlights) $59,080,000 2.5%
Mats & Matting $252,862,400 10.7%
Microfiber Products (mops, cloths, etc.) $56,716,800 2.4%
Wet Mops (all types except microfiber) $215,051,200 9.1%
Mopping Equipment (buckets, wringers, etc.) $163,060,800 6.9%
Protective Clothing/Equipment $87,438,400 3.7%
Safety Products (other than gloves) $63,806,400 2.7%
Signage/Barricades $21,268,800 0.9%
Squeegees $25,995,200 1.1%
Warewashing Equipment $30,721,600 1.3%
Waste Handling Equipment (carts, receptacles, not liners) $113,433,600 4.8%
Washroom Fixtures (dryers, dispensers, toilet partitions) $59,080,000 2.5%
Window Washing Accessories (buckets, holsters, etc., not squeegees) $35,448,000 1.5%
Other Supplies/Accessories not listed above $113,433,600 4.8%

2002 Paper/Plastics - $8,798,700,000
Food Service Disposables (napkins, plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, wraps) $1,346,201,100 15.3%
Industrial Wipers $580,714,200 6.6%
Liners & Bags (paper or synthetic/plastic) $1,821,330,900 20.7%
Packaging Products $1,073,441,400 12.2%
Towels, Facial Tissue and Toilet Tissue $3,739,447,500 42.5%
Other Paper/Plastics not listed above $237,564,900 2.7%

2002 Other Janitorial Products Not Listed in Any Preceding Category - $822,900,000

Respondents’ Profile

Respondents’ Profile
Janitorial Supply Distributor 62.1%
Paper Merchant 15.9%
Industrial Distributor 10.6%
Foodservice Distributor 7.6%
Other Specialty Distributor 3.8%

Distributors’ Sales Areas
Local (within a 60-mile radius) 55.7%
Regional (more than one state) 22.9%
Statewide 9.9%
National 6.9%
International 4.6%




POSTED ON: 10/1/2003