Growth insights for emerging partners

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Foodservice

Data driven moves for businesses ready to scale smart

Reading between the lines (of your orders)

What if your next smart move was hiding in plain sight? Every order you place contains clues: what’s working, what’s changing, and where growth is waiting to happen. Agristo analyzed thousands of data points from emerging partners like you to surface patterns that can help you scale faster than the market.

You know your local market. You’ve got an eye for what’s catching on. But the right data can help you go from reacting to anticipating.

In this article, you’ll find actionable insights to help you:

  1. Optimize your product mix for faster growth

  2. Spot demand peaks before they happen

  3. Discover next steps in your assortment development

We’re not looking back. We’re helping you leap forward. These insights are here to help you grow with more focus, more confidence, and less guesswork.

Let’s scale smart. Together.

Starting smart with the core 4

A pattern too obvious to ignore. A pattern helping many of our emerging partners grow faster, with less hassle. Over the past five years, 80% of the volume purchased by emerging partners has come from just four products. That’s right. 4 products. if we expand the view slightly to the top 8 products, they account for 95% of the total volume. These aren’t just bestsellers, they’re the backbone of a solid product portfolio.

Breaking down the core 4, our standard 10X10 mm fries represent 53% of total volume. A safe bet and crowd pleaser. The next three largest categories are:

• Allumettes (10%)

• Thick-cut fries 12X12 mm (10%)

• Potato wedges (7%)

The core 4

Together, these four products form what we call the ‘Core 4’. They’re reliable, familiar, and scalable. Most emerging partners begin here. Many even never need to stray far from this lineup to build steady growth.

When extending the core 4 to a more broad basic range, we see 8 product comprise 95% of total volume. This extended range also entails steakhouse fries, crinkle fries, 9.5X9.5 mm fries and hash browns.

Partner tip

51% of our partners built their range around these 4 products.
Want to test the waters? Ask us about a mixed starter container with the Core 4.

Riding the wave: when demand peaks

Timing can make or break a sales season. And while it might feel like customer demand is unpredictable, our data tells a clearer story. One with recurring patterns that you can use to plan smarter.

Across multiple years, two order peaks stand out clearly:

August: Not just about summer anymore. This spike often reflects preparation for the back-to-school season and early autumn demand. Many of your peers are already placing orders to restock ahead of changing routines, lunch menus, and indoor dining. Think smart planning, not last-minute panic.

November: The calm before the festive storm. This peak is tied to Holiday prep, as customers get ready for family feasts, winter menus, and promotional periods. Orders in November are often strategic stock-ups to avoid supply bottlenecks during the busiest time of year.

Why this matters:

Recognizing these recurring peaks lets you:

• Time promotions or launches with confidence

• Manage stock levels and cold storage more efficiently

• Align staff planning with expected delivery cycles

• Plan test launches of new formats when buyers are most receptive

Partner tip

Want to avoid last-minute stress and missed sales? We’ll help you build a ready-to-go container tailored to seasonal peaks. You stay in control, sell more, and stock smart.

From standard to signature, the shift is on

You have these rare events that change the world and change the people lived through it. Before the pandemic, most partners played it safe. A conservative offering of one or two SKUs in standard formats: cost-effective, consistent, and easy to manage.

Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a clear move toward product diversity. Customers aren’t just looking for fries anymore … they’re looking for fries with a distinctive character. Seasoned. Skin-on. Rustic. Premiumized. In short: products that stand out on the plate.

Here’s what’s changed:

• The once-dominant standard variants of key products like 10x10 mm fries and allumettes are now sharing the spotlight with coated and rustic options.

• Potato wedges have seen the most dramatic shift: from classic skin-on to a mix of seasoned and battered formats.

• Even categories like hash browns and 9x9 mm fries show significant uptake in alternatives like pre-salted coating, signaling a demand for either added flavor or cost-conscious simplicity.

These aren’t one-offs anymore; they’re habits. As showcased in our latest trend report, there is a search for sensorial exploration. New and experimental flavor profiles are now firmly part of the purchasing and consumption mix.

How it opens new doors for you:

• Add flavor and texture variation to differentiate your menu or offer.

• Tap into premium segments without changing your core lineup.

• Test smaller volumes of high-value variants with higher margin potential.

Partner tip

Thinking of adding variety without the risk? Try a limited run of one standout SKU, like a rustic cut or seasoned wedge, and gauge customer response fast. We’ll help you match flavor with local trends and margin potential.

Preferred quality: what your peers are choosing

When it comes to product choices, our emerging partners know what they’re after: trusted, reliable quality. The numbers prove it. Over 80% of all volume sold comes from A-grade products. That’s no accident. Our A-grade products serve as a launchpad. These products strike the right balance between consistency, scalability, and value for money. Making them the ideal foundation for a strong, market-ready range.

• A-grade dominates across all product types, especially in foundational products like 9x9 mm fries, hash browns, and crinkle fries.

• Even in more diverse or high-volume formats like 10x10 mm fries, A-grade still leads.

• Premium products still form a small share but are gaining traction. Customers use them to stand out, not to replace the basics.

At Agristo, we’ve built our A-grade family around brands like Maestro, Eurogold, VIP, ...

Partner tip

Premium doesn’t mean “all or nothing.” Many of your peers pair a mostly A-grade lineup with one or two Premium SKUs to create a standout signature.

What comes next? Predicatable pairings

Ever wondered what your next product could be? Using real customer data and market analysis (yes, the same tech that powers “people who bought this also bought…” recommendations), we discovered clear patterns in how our emerging partners expand their assortments.

Here’s what we found:

• Customers who start with 10x10 mm fries often follow up with potato wedges, steakhouse fries, or crinkle fries.

• Those buying allumettes tend to move next into 10x10 mm or steakhouse fries.

• Potato wedges buyers often explore steakhouse or allumettes as their next step.

And when customers already carry 2 or 3 of the top products? Their next additions tend to be:

• Hash browns (for breakfast or snack extensions)

• Crinkle fries (especially for oven-focused menus or retro appeal)

These aren't random moves, they're growth logic in action. It’s how smart assortments evolve: start with one core product, then expand sideways into related formats that fill different needs (or occasions) without overwhelming your range.

Why this matters for you:

If you’re thinking of adding a product or introducing something new to your customers these patterns can help de-risk your next step. You don’t need to reinvent your range. You just need to build on what already works.

Partner tip

You don’t have to guess what’s next. We can help you map out your next smart step—using real data from partners just like you. Think of it as your personalized growth GPS, based on what works in the market.

Summary

You’re not just in the market, you’re shaping it

Being an emerging partner doesn’t mean playing catch-up. It means operating at the edge of what’s possible: testing new formats, spotting shifts before they become trends, and growing with intent.

The insights we’ve shared aren’t just about what has worked. They’re about where the market is going, and how you can move with it. You’ve seen how four products can propel a portfolio. How seasonality affects not just volume, but planning. How consumer expectations have evolved toward flavor, texture, and variety. And how something as simple as your SKU count can reveal your growth stage and next opportunity.

"Smart growth starts with understanding your own path

and choosing partners who help you walk it with confidence."

If there’s one thing this data makes clear, it’s this: growth isn’t guesswork. It’s pattern recognition. And once you understand those patterns, you can move smarter, faster, and with more confidence.

We’re committed to helping you turn those patterns into action. Whether you're just getting started or ready to fine-tune your range, we can work with you to build a next-step strategy rooted in real-world buying behavior.

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