This Week in Retail: Enter the Dog Days

Goodbye July—hello August. The dog days of summer are here as we enter the lazy hazy final crazy days of the season.  

August is often referred to as the “Sunday of summer” and that perspective could bode well for retail sales as consumers seek to soak up the last few weeks of sunshine and outdoor activity before the school year resumes and the weather begins to transition again.

Beef is killing the retail game in recent weeks, taking the top weekly spot for protein feature volume during the entire month of July. Currently, beef ads account for 27 percent of circular real estate, beating out second placed seafood at 23 percent. Steak features make up about half...

This Week in Retail: Outlook for the Fourth

Hard to believe it, but the 4^th of July is just around the corner. With at or near record production levels in U.S. protein, the industry is counting on good weather and hungry consumers to move some product at retail.

Urner Barry’s weekly retail beef feature index is down roughly 4% compared to the 3-year average—and is also the lowest in 6 years for the current week.  Beef has consistently stolen the top spot for overall feature volume over competing proteins recently, with few exceptions. This week, beef claims 26% of protein ad volume and is on track to be the number one category for the week of July 4^th as well.

Burgers are arguably the most popular grilling item for large Independence Day gatherings in backyards across America. The year-to-date average for 80% lean ground beef is...

This Week in Retail: Looking Ahead to Father’s Day Spending

Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 16^th, and retailers are prepping for the second big grilling holiday of the summer.

According to the National Retail Federation, Father’s Day spending in 2019 is expected to reach an all-time high of $16 billion. That’s up from last year’s $15.3 billion. This monumental spending figure still, however, pales in comparison to spending for Mother’s Day, coming in at a whopping $25 billion.

Mother’s Day has long been known as a foodservice holiday, but Father’s Day tends to favor grilling at home with some quality steaks, burgers, chops or ribs. The NRF also reports that spending for Father’s Day has grown 70 percent over the last decade, with special outings playing a big part of that growth, accounting for a projected $3.3 billion. With 76 percent of...

As Grilling Season Begins, Turkey Patties Take Off

Summer is coming up, and with it comes grilling. While beef and pork have long held dominion over the summer grill, there’s been increased interest in turkey patties for grilling in recent years, as consumers lean towards more lower calorie options. Turkey has long been a go-to for burger substitutes due to its low fat content, good micronutrient profile, and a perceived “health halo”.

n the past, consumers have found turkey patties to lack sufficient flavor. Last year, unseasoned turkey patty sales fell eight percent. To remedy this situation... 

This Week in Retail: The Memorial Day Rundown

It’s finally here, the unofficial start to summer and the very official start to the grilling season. In the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend, the beef category claims the top spot for protein feature volume at 27 percent, followed by seafood at just under 26 percent.

Chicken managed to knock out pork for the number three spot with 22.5 percent of ad space, leaving pork with 18 percent. Cheaper grilling items like thighs and drumsticks helped boost chicken featuring volume this week. Meanwhile, the beef segment presents the ultimate showdown between ground beef and steak. In the pork complex, we see an increase in pork chop featuring, up nearly 8 percent week over week.

Taking a closer look at the beef complex, Urner Barry’s weekly retail beef index is right on par with the 3-year average at $5.85 per pound. This is down from the previous week’s index of $6.47 per pound. Ground beef features are modestly lower year over year at an average...

ANALYSIS: Ground Beef Pricing

Ground beef represents almost half of the beef consumption in the U.S. COMTELL tracks wholesale prices, along with everyday and retail ad prices for the category from a variety of sources. Wholesale ground beef values tend to be more volatile while...