Quick-service restaurant sales in U.S. expected to rise 4.4% in 2012, according to report

Nevin Barich

PHOENIX , January 9, 2012 (press release) – After three years of stagnant growth, franchised restaurants show signs for recovery in 2012. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), quick service restaurant sales are expected to increase 4.4 percent.

Although growth is anticipated, restaurants are still feeling the pinch. The commodity outlook for 2012 is estimated to rise in the low-to-mid single digits following last year's price increases. According to the National Restaurant Association, wholesale food inflation ran at 7.8 percent in 2011.

As operating costs rise due to surging prices for basic ingredients such as sugar, flour, cheese, and beef, foodservice operators are forced to find ways to reduce costs internally or -- unfavorable as it may sound, raise menu prices. With consumers still weary of spending, restaurants are evolving their supply chain to create greater efficiencies and help control expenses.

ARCOP, a leading supply chain cooperative for Arby's restaurants, recently partnered with e-sourcing experts Intesource to take their sourcing and procurement initiatives to the next level.

"We achieved immediate results with Intesource. Their competitively priced and flexible offering coupled with a full service, highly supportive approach was very important," said Les Karel, senior vice president, indirect sourcing of ARCOP. "We have a lean team and e-sourcing should allow us to decrease the amount of time it takes to execute an RFx from start to finish."

Over the next year, ARCOP plans to incorporate e-sourcing by working in conjunction with Intesource's dedicated team of experts to drive efficiencies and improve bottom line earnings for Arby's corporate and franchise operators. "Integrating an e-sourcing technology and service for our sourcing process and project management will help us drive standardization and consistency across our entire team," says Karel. "By using one central platform we will be able to capture the data from our bids and projects for quick reference and review as needed."

E-sourcing, otherwise known as a reverse auction or electronic RFP process, has become a popular means of sourcing goods and services for foodservice organizations within the last decade. Keith Anderkin, senior vice president, procurement of ARCOP says reverse auctions, when used appropriately, are a fair and balanced way to determine true market price. "As a result, we will be evaluating all categories to determine where an electronic RFP process may be beneficial while still maintaining the supplier relationships that are a critical part of our success," he says.

Other organizations that have partnered with Intesource include Anna's Linens, Meijer and Wegmans, to name a few. Distributors such as Nash Finch Company and Spartan Stores also use the company's full-service sourcing solution and services.

Intesource offers a full-service, all-inclusive approach to e-sourcing unlike any in the industry. Intesource's team of professionals is dedicated exclusively to the development of custom processes and support services for each partner based on their unique strategic sourcing and procurement initiatives. This approach allows users to become productive within weeks to achieve immediate bottom line results. The Intesource web-based e-sourcing suite allows for complete transparency and control through each step of the process. Intesource also offers contract management and vendor management tools and services designed specifically for the procurement professional.

About Intesource, Inc.
Intesource, Inc. is a provider of web-based e-sourcing solutions and services including reverse auctions, vendor management, and contract management. Serving market leaders, the company delivers superior technology backed by industry-leading, full-service support. Intesource's enterprise solutions integrate with existing processes to deliver high impact results -- a 30 percent improvement in sourcing efficiencies and 18 percent reduction in the cost of goods and operating expenses. For additional information, visit www.intesource.com and watch a short 3 minute video.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.