Operator guide · PFG
Negotiating your PFG (Performance Food Group) prices: an operator's guide
Performance Food Group is a large North American food and foodservice distributor serving independent and chain restaurants among other customers. Its company-wide scale does not reveal how your account or any one SKU is priced.
Start with the documents you control: your agreement, current invoice, and older invoices for the same PFG SKU. Ask which pricing method and volume tier apply rather than assuming PFG uses the same terms as another distributor.
The comparison method (works for any distributor)
Start with 10 items you spend the most on. For each one, record the exact product spec and pack, your current delivered price in a common unit, and one like-for-like reference: another distributor's quote, a cash-and-carry shelf price, or a dated invoice from another operator. A cheaper case is not a valid comparison when the weight, trim, grade, brand, or fresh-versus-frozen spec differs.
Keep two questions separate. Your own invoice history can show that a SKU changed; it cannot, by itself, show that the new price is wrong. An outside reference can show that a lower current price exists; it only holds up when the item and timing match. Write both pieces down before deciding what to ask your rep.
Then make the conversation line-specific. Bring the item, your invoice price, the comparable reference, and the price you want reviewed. Also ask which pricing method applies to the account and whether any markup or service fee is fixed or percentage-based. That gives the rep a concrete question to answer without turning the call into a threat to move the whole account.
Using your own invoice history as leverage
Before collecting outside quotes, put the same PFG SKU from your available invoices in date order and normalize it to the same unit. Check the pack and quantity too: a changed case size can make a case-price comparison misleading.
That history answers one narrow question: what changed on this account? It does not establish what the item should cost now. For that, add a current like-for-like quote or cash-and-carry reference and keep its date, pack, and spec beside the number.
Turn a price change into a question you can size
For a changed SKU, calculate the old and current per-unit price, multiply the difference by your actual order volume, and state the time period. That turns a vague complaint into the cost of the observed change without calling it an overcharge.
If you later add an outside reference, show that gap separately. Mixing the historical change and the outside comparison into one savings claim would answer two different questions with one number.
Straight answers
Is PFG's pricing different from Sysco's or US Foods'?
It can be, but the logo alone does not answer the question. Compare the written pricing method and the same delivered items on your actual accounts. Do not assume the terms or product specs match.
What's the fastest check I can run on a PFG invoice?
Take a high-spend SKU and compare its per-unit price on your newest and oldest available invoices, checking that the pack did not change. It shows whether your price moved; add a current outside reference before deciding whether the new price is out of line.
Will pushing back on prices damage the relationship?
No guide can promise how an individual rep will respond. A calm request tied to a specific invoice line, comparison, and question gives both sides something concrete to review without making an unsupported accusation.