What Itochu-Shokuhin does

Itochu-Shokuhin Co., Ltd. (伊藤忠食品株式会社, ISC) is a midstream food and liquor wholesale distributor in Japan, founded in 1886 and headquartered in Osaka. The company operates six integrated wholesale functions (sales, logistics, information systems, payment settlement, marketing, and merchandising), connecting approximately 4,000 food and liquor manufacturers to approximately 1,000 retailers nationwide, handling roughly 500,000 SKUs across all major retail formats including supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and e-commerce operators. Liquor accounts for approximately 40% of total revenue, with food comprising the remainder.

The company owns proprietary 凍眠 (Tōmin) rapid liquid freezing technology, enabling differentiated branded products including flash-frozen fruits and freshly pressed unpasteurized sake. Its nationwide logistics network spans approximately 20 distribution centers operated through subsidiary Shin Nihon Ryutsu Service, incorporating automation systems such as fixed-point picking, 4-store simultaneous picking, and demand-controlled electricity management. The company also operates proprietary and licensed consumer brands including Karada Switch (health-focused private brand), KI ONE Korean single malt whisky, Canard Duchêne champagne, and gift card products targeting the ~¥17 trillion gift market.

Following a 1996 merger of Meikan and Matsushita Suzuki, ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section in 2001 as a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation. In 2026, ITOCHU Corporation completed a share cash-out, taking the company private. The firm generated approximately ¥700-750 billion yen in annual revenue, with consolidated headcount of 1,214 employees as of March 31, 2026. Group subsidiaries include Suhara Foods (Hokkaido), I.M.C. (department store grocery operations), and ISC Business Support (payment settlement and accounting). The revenue model is B2B wholesale distribution with transaction-based pricing negotiated between counterparties.

Name

Itochu-Shokuhin

Legal name

ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN Co.,Ltd.

Website

https://itochu-shokuhin.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Itochu-Shokuhin (伊藤忠食品) is a Japanese B2B food and liquor wholesale distributor connecting approximately 4,000 manufacturers to roughly 1,000 retailers across Japan via about 20 logistics centers, handling approximately 500,000 SKUs. Founded in 1886, it operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation following 2026 privatization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food & Beverage Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bar, Restaurant & On-Premise Beverage Supply Wholesale (AFAIAGAI), Craft & Specialty Beverage Wholesale (Local/Artisanal) (AFAIAGAH)

Keywords

• Food wholesale distribution
• Liquor wholesale distribution
• B2B grocery distribution
• Wholesale logistics services
• Frozen food supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices58 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food & Liquor Wholesale Distribution: ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN generates revenue as a midstream food and liquor wholesale distributor (chukan torihiki gyō), buying products from ~4,000 manufacturers and selling to ~1,000 retail businesses across Japan. The company handles approximately 500,000 SKUs and earns margins on the spread between purchase and sale prices. Liquor transactions account for approximately 40% of total revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN is a B2B midstream food and liquor wholesale distributor in Japan, purchasing products from approximately 4,000 manufacturers and reselling them to approximately 1,000 retail businesses (supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and e-commerce operators) across approximately 500,000 SKUs. The company integrates six wholesale functions — sales, logistics, information systems, payment settlement, marketing, and merchandising — and operates a network of approximately 20 nationwide logistics centers. Liquor (wine and spirits) accounts for approximately 40% of total revenue.

Product overview

ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN Co., Ltd. (ISC) is a liquor and food wholesale distributor operating six integrated wholesale functions — Sales, Logistics, Information Systems, Payment Settlement, Marketing, and Merchandising — handling approximately 500,000 SKUs across ~4,000 manufacturers and ~1,000 retailers nationwide. The product portfolio centers on proprietary and licensed food/beverage brands: 凍眠 Fruits (flash-frozen domestic produce), 凍眠 Frozen Sake (rapid-freeze fresh sake), からだスイッチ health private-brand line, gift card/code gift products, and regional product initiatives (ふるさと食むすび). Licensed/brand partner products include KI ONE Korean single malt whisky, Canard Duchêne champagne, and restaurant-branded frozen meals (CoCo壱番屋, Hotel Okura, etc.). Logistics operations across ~20 nationwide centers enable warehousing, automated picking, and demand-responsive delivery. The company is undergoing privatization by parent Itochu Corp. as of 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 凍眠フルーツ (Tomin Fruits): 急速凍結した冷凍フルーツ商品ブランド
• 凍眠凍結酒
• からだスイッチ (Karada Switch)
• KI ONE (キウォン)
• カナールデュシェーヌ (Canard Duchêne)

Products and services

• Tomin Fruits (凍眠フルーツ)

Quantifiable outcome

• Worker-hour reduction of approximately 26% and forklift operator-hour reduction of approximately 18% through fixed-point picking automation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shin Nihon Ryutsu Service Co., Ltd. (新日本流通サービス株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShin Nihon Ryutsu Service Co., Ltd. is a consolidated subsidiary of ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN established in 1983 to manage logistics operations. The company operates approximately 20 logistics centers nationwide, focusing on efficient logistics operations and new logistics system development. It addresses labor shortages through warehouse productivity improvements, delivery route optimization, and driver retention initiatives, serving as the core logistics arm of the ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN group.
• ISC Business Support Co., Ltd. (ISCビジネスサポート株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISC Business Support Co., Ltd. is a consolidated subsidiary established in 2008 to strengthen and enhance payment settlement functions. The company handles accounting and debt management services, processing large volumes of transaction documents with thousands of counterparties daily. It promotes low-cost operations using digital technologies including RPA and AI-OCR for document processing.
• Suhara Foods Co., Ltd. (株式会社スハラ食品)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuhara Foods Co., Ltd. is a Hokkaido-based food and liquor wholesale company with over 100 years of history, acquired as a consolidated subsidiary in 2012 to strengthen the Hokkaido regional sales base. The company supports ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN's product procurement by promoting Hokkaido products nationally (direct-to-market agricultural and seafood products) and developing original products using Hokkaido ingredients, including Hokkaido fairs.
• I.M.C. Co., Ltd. (株式会社アイ・エム・シー)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerI.M.C. Co., Ltd. is a consolidated subsidiary established in 2006 as a new business providing retail support services for organized retailers, particularly department stores. It operates and manages over 20 department store grocery counters nationwide under the concept of 'Japanese gourmet food specialty.' The company contributes to customer and partner satisfaction through store brand maintenance and elevation.
• Chubu Meikan Co., Ltd. (株式会社中部メイカン)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChubu Meikan Co., Ltd. is an affiliate (関連会社) of ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN and a food wholesale company located in Gifu Prefecture. It is listed as a related company in the group structure.
• Takara Shoten (株式会社宝来商店)minorOthersTakara Shoten is a non-consolidated subsidiary (非連結子会社) of ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN operating in food and liquor retail. It is listed in the company's group structure.
• Every.tv (株式会社エブリー)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerI.M.C. (a subsidiary of ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN) has a capital and business partnership with Every.tv, which operates video media businesses including Delish Kitchen. The partnership enables new store format development using digital signage to provide consumer information at the point of sale. Data obtained through these store formats is used for new product development and improved store design.
• RINGBELL Co., Ltd. (リンベル株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItochu-Shokuhin entered into a business partnership with RINGBELL, a leading catalog gift company, to strengthen its gift business functions. The partnership enabled the co-development of 'Koto-Mono' gifts combining experiences (events, tours) with physical products (souvenirs), expanding into the ~17 trillion yen gift market. RINGBELL's catalog gift expertise complements ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN's product sourcing and logistics capabilities.
• KI ONE Distillery (キウォンウイスキー蒸留所)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKI ONE is Korea's first single malt whisky distillery (founded 2020), producing the KI ONE brand of Korean single malt whisky. ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN distributes KI ONE products in Japan and has established a distribution partnership. The distillery was founded by Brian Do (Korean-American craft beer maker) and Andrew Shand (Scottish whisky veteran with 40 years of experience at Glenlivet, Chivas, Nikka, and Speyside distilleries).
• Canard Duchêne (カナールデュシェーヌ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanard Duchêne is a French champagne house founded in 1868 by Victor Canard and Léonie Duchêne, located in the premier cru village of Ludes in the Montagne de Reims region. ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN distributes Canard Duchêne champagne products in Japan. In January 2025, the house appointed its first female Chef de Caves (chief winemaker), Cynthia Fauchère, marking a generational transition.
• CoCo Ichiban-ya (カレーハウスCoCo壱番屋)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN collaborates with CoCo Ichiban-ya to develop frozen curry and prepared food products for retail sale under the partnership. The company develops frozen versions of restaurant favorites for home consumption.
• Hotel Okura (ホテルオークラ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops frozen food products in partnership with Hotel Okura, making hotel-quality dishes such as hamburg steaks available for home consumption.
• Beni-dori Gyoza-bo (紅虎餃子房)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops frozen gyoza (dumplings) products with Beni-dori Gyoza-bo restaurant chain, offering popular restaurant dumplings for home purchase.
• Nadaman (なだ万)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN partners with Nadaman (a traditional Japanese restaurant brand) to develop frozen food products including broiled eel sushi and grilled mackerel sushi for home dining.
• Tsuji Hyohei Shoten (辻利兵衛本店)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops premium frozen desserts with Tsuji Hyohei Shoten, a traditional Japanese confectionery, including Uji matcha chocolate gateau cake.
• Goto Ken (五島軒)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops Belgian chocolate cake and other desserts with Goto Ken, a restaurant in Hakodate, Hokkaido.
• Tan-gnu Kitaten (たん熊北店)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops bean daifuku and other traditional Japanese sweets with Tan-gnu Kitaten restaurant.
• Doutor (ドトール)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN partners with Doutor coffee chain to develop Italian chestnut mont Blanc and other dessert products.
• Hakata Kamamidori (博多 華味鳥)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops special event food products such as Japanese New Year osechi set meals with Hakata Kamamidori restaurant.
• FLO PRESTIGE PARISminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITOCHU-SHOKUHIN develops premium fruit custard tart products with FLO PRESTIGE PARIS for special occasion gifting.
• Itoyokado Ltd. (株式会社イトーヨーカ堂)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItoyokado cooperated with ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN to install solar power generation and battery storage equipment at the Sagamihara IDC logistics center, enabling the center to operate on renewable energy and maintain operations during power outages.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Mitsubishi Shokuhin: Major Japanese food and liquor wholesaler and a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation, directly comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN in business model as a midstream distributor connecting manufacturers with organized retailers. Operates a similar broadline food/liquor distribution platform in Japan.
• Arata Corporation: Japanese wholesaler of consumer products including food, daily goods, and pet supplies serving organized retailers. Operates a similar broadline B2B wholesale model connecting manufacturers to retail customers, though with a different category mix than ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN.
• Kokubu & Co., Ltd. One of Japan's largest independent food wholesalers with national reach and ~¥2 trillion+ revenue, directly comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN as a broadline distributor serving supermarkets, convenience stores, and food service operators across Japan.
• Paltac Corporation: Japan's largest wholesaler of cosmetics, daily necessities, and health products serving drugstores and retailers. Comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN in operating a nationwide logistics-driven wholesale platform serving organized retail customers with similar GTM motion.

Broad incumbents

• Performance Food Group: U.S. foodservice and convenience distributor of ~$60B revenue across foodservice, vending, and convenience channels. Comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN as a large-scale B2B food distributor with broad category coverage and similar customer types.
• US Foods Holding Corp: Major U.S. foodservice distributor of ~$35B revenue serving restaurants and foodservice operators. Comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN in operating a broadline B2B food distribution model at scale, though focused on foodservice rather than organized retail.
• Sysco Corporation: Largest US foodservice distributor with ~$80B revenue, providing a global benchmark for broadline food distribution scale. Comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN in operating a large-scale distributor-to-customer food logistics platform, though primarily foodservice-focused and U.S.-based.

Regional players

• Kanematsu Corporation: Japanese trading company (sogo shosha) with a food and meat products division that engages in food distribution. Comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN's parent ITOCHU Corporation in being a Japanese sogo shosha with food sector exposure, though operating as a parent trading company rather than as a dedicated wholesale subsidiary.
• Sojitz Corporation: Japanese trading company (sogo shosha) with food and beverage business operations. Comparable to ITOCHU Corporation as another Japanese sogo shosha with food sector activities, providing context on the broader trading-company parent structure under which ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN operates.

Others

• Nichirei Corporation: Japanese food and logistics company with major processed food and cold-chain logistics operations. Comparable to ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN in operating Japanese food logistics infrastructure including cold-chain, though more focused on processed food manufacturing than wholesale distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/foodgrandprix
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodgrandprix
• Instagraminstagram.com/foodays.jp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Itochu-Shokuhin