This Week in Retail: Protein Features Spring to Life in May

May has finally arrived, sparking spring fever among consumers and retailers alike. With warmer weather beginning to arrive for parts of the country, retailers will increasingly showcase grilling campaigns for the upcoming summer season. 

The month of May hosts several retail occasions that typically heighten store traffic and sales. Baseball season is underway, leading to increased consumption both inside and outside the stadium of hot dogs, burgers, beers, and more.

The National Hog Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates that MLB fans will consume 19.1 million hot dogs and nearly five million sausages at games this season. Fans are returning to stadiums at maximum capacity this season for the first time since 2019...

This Week in Retail: Looking Towards April

Heading into April, the prospect of warmer weather encourages grocers to revamp their ads to align with seasonal trends. Increased demand for grilling items, especially for premium beef cuts, typically supports sales at the meat case.

Furthermore, the warming trend often translates to increased foodservice demand as more consumers venture out to restaurants. 

Wholesale prices for cuts like strip steaks, porterhouse, and T-bones normally begin to increase sometime in April and peak in the summer months. 

This week in retail, steaks including top round, top sirloin, and T-bone all show a rise in price versus a year ago. The steak complex currently averages 32% higher YoY. Features for 80% ground beef average $3.47 per pound, up from $2.88 per pound last year. Average roast prices are up 42 cents per pound...