Meat and Eggs

Executive Summary of Sector Payment Behaviour

Upon reviewing the payment behaviour of 36 companies within the meat and eggs sector, the data indicates a moderately efficient payment culture that generally adheres to standard commercial terms. The analysis reveals an arithmetic mean payment time of 36.1 days, which is closely aligned with the median of 37 days. This proximity between the mean and median suggests a relatively normal distribution, free from the skewing effects of extreme outliers. Whilst the standard deviation of 11.5 days points to some variability in how different organisations manage their working capital, the sector generally coalesces around a payment window of roughly five to six weeks. It is evident that the majority of companies in this sector endeavour to maintain stable creditor relations, as indicated by the complete absence of critical failures (payments exceeding 90 days) or very slow payers (60–90 days).

Distribution and Quartile Performance

When we organise the companies into specific performance bands, a distinct pattern emerges regarding operational efficiency. The largest cohort, comprising 41.7% of the sample (15 companies), falls into the moderate bracket of 31–45 days. Meanwhile, one-third of the entities (12 companies) manage to settle debts within the 'Fast' window of 0–30 days, signalling a strong liquidity position for a significant portion of the market. However, a quarter of the sector (9 companies) remains in the slow category (46–60 days). The interquartile range of 19 days—spanning from the 25th percentile at 27 days to the 75th percentile at 46 days—demonstrates that whilst the top performers are highly agile, there is a significant gap between them and the laggards. This spread indicates that credit managers dealing with the meat and eggs sector must analyse individual creditworthiness carefully, as payment speed is not uniform across the board.

Transaction Efficiency and Outliers

A deeper dive into the specific transaction performance reveals that 47.9% of all payments are realised within 30 days, yet a concerning 26.7% are classified as late. This discrepancy suggests that whilst companies may average out to a moderate speed overall, specific invoices frequently slip past agreed terms, likely due to internal processing bottlenecks rather than liquidity crises. The data highlights a performance gap between the top performers, who pay in as little as 14 days, and the slowest payer at 57 days. Notably, only two companies managed to achieve an average below 20 days. Companies within this sector must realise that consistently hitting the 46-day mark (the 75th percentile) places them at a competitive disadvantage regarding supply chain goodwill compared to the top quartile. However, the fact that the 'slowest' payer settles in 57 days is a favourable sign, as it keeps the entire sector comfortably under the two-month mark.

Regional Concentration and Strategic Outlook

Geographically, the sample is centred heavily in the East of England (8 companies) and the North West (6 companies), with the West Midlands, Yorkshire and The Humber, and Northern Ireland also represented. This distribution suggests these regions act as key operational hubs. Overall, the sector demonstrates a disciplined, albeit slightly relaxed, approach to working capital. To optimise standing with suppliers, firms currently in the 31–60 day bracket should analyse their internal approval workflows to mirror the efficiency of the top quartile. Amongst the analysed companies, the priority must be to reduce the 26.7% late payment figure, ensuring that administrative delays do not damage the generally positive credit reputation of the meat and eggs sector.