This Week in Retail: Seasonal Transition for the Meat Case

With Labor Day now behind us, retailers are preparing for the transition from summer staples to fall favorites.

Tailgaiting items like burgers and ribs are being featured in time for the National Football League season, which kicks off today! This could support sales at the meat case as consumers gather to cheer on their teams while chowing down on finger foods. 

A game-time staple, chicken wings are on feature for $2.97 per pound, down 2 cents from a year ago. Wholesale wing prices have gained nearly 7 percent so far this year but are currently well below last year’s record highs, providing the opportunity for retailers and foodservice to showcase attractive promotions. However, boneless breasts have mostly been at record highs so far this year—unwelcome news for boneless wing lovers...

This Week in Retail: Gearing Up for the Last Major Retail Event of Summer

Grocers are gearing up for the last major retail buying occasion of the season—Labor Day weekend. The upcoming holiday signals the “unofficial end” of summer and retailers are making the final push for grilling items.

In the wholesale beef market, Urner Barry’s Choice beef cutout has been largely sideways since mid-May. At present, the cutout is down about 23% from last year's level, which was a seasonal all-time high.

However, the cutout remains at the second highest level in history for this time of year. This has made it difficult for grocers to procure inventory for holiday promotions at lower prices...

This Week in Retail: Beef Features Increase Ahead of Labor Day

It may be hard to believe, but Labor Day weekend is just over two weeks away.

Grocers have already completed the bulk of their purchases for the last major grilling occasion of the summer season. 

The meat case could perform well over the holiday with several popular grilling items featured at lower price points compared to last year. Ground beef is likely to grab a large share of circular space as households fire up the grill with burgers and more...

This Week in Retail: Wrapping Up July; Digesting the Latest GDP Data  

Wrapping up July, grocers are promoting fan-favorite grilling items like steaks, pork chops, and shrimp in an effort to encourage at-home cooking during the dog days of summer—a seasonally sluggish period for meat sales.

Seafood features make up nearly 33% of total protein ad volume this week, marking the fifth consecutive week that it has seized the top spot. Beef comes in second with 23%, closely followed by pork with 22%. Chicken claims 17.5% and eggs make up 1.3% of ad space, down from nearly 5% the week...

This Week in Retail: Prepping for the Next Major Summer Grilling Occasion

Grocers will soon be featuring meat and poultry cuts for Father’s Day, the second major grilling event of the season that falls between Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Typically, June is the most active time of the year for backyard grilling as the warmer weather beckons families to cook outdoors. Grocers will try to encourage shoppers to cook at home rather than dining out for Father's Day this year by featuring popular grilling items at attractive price points when possible...

This Week in Retail: Protein Features for Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend, beef features steal the spotlight with 30% of total protein ad volume. Seafood claims 28.5%, followed by pork with 23%. Chicken features account for 15% of retail buying opportunities, while turkey sneaks in with 1.6%.

In the beef complex, steaks have nearly 48% of feature volume. Ground beef ads account for 30%. The steak complex averages $9.18 per pound, up $1.15 per pound from a year ago. All except for top round and bone-in rib are priced higher than a year ago.

The price of 80% lean ground beef averages slightly above a year ago at $3.32 per pound. Burgers are often favored as a cost-effective and easy way to feed large gatherings...

This Week in Retail: Protein Demand and Rising Food Inflation

Fueled by rising food inflation, consumers nationwide continue to see higher prices for protein along with other goods, both at retail and foodservice. 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 8.3% in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—down slightly from the month prior. However, the latest figure was still near a 40-year high and slightly above what some analysts had anticipated. 

The food index increased 0.9% last month, its seventeenth consecutive monthly increase. 

Five of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in April. The fruits and vegetable category was the only index that declined last month. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.4% in April, driven by a 10.3% increase in the egg index...

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: Roast Features Make Room for Grilling Ads

Although some portions of the country are still experiencing cool weather and even snow, various grilling cuts are beginning to surface in circulars as consumers dust off their grills—despite being a month away from the unofficial Memorial Day kickstart to summer.

For grocers, the seasonal uptick in demand typically boosts sales for items like loins, butts, and ribs over the next few weeks as warmer weather drives increased outdoor activity.

In the meantime, retailers are preparing for the next retail occasion—Cinco de Mayo. The approaching celebration could increase store traffic as shoppers stock up on pork, beef, and chicken for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and beyond...

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...

This Week in Retail: Steak Features See Boost from Warmer Weather; Eyeing HPAI

Sunday marked the official start of spring. For retailers, that means grilling season is rapidly approaching, and with it—the opportunity for increased meat sales.

Steak features surged this week, accounting for 50.5 percent of total beef ads—up 16 percentage points from the week prior. Feature volume for roasts, meanwhile, has decreased, falling from 38.2 percent last week to 23.2 percent this week.

This week in retail, the steak complex averages $8.12 per pound, up 12.8 percent from a year ago. Boneless strip steaks are widely featured at grocery outlets across the nation and average $11.68 per pound, up 36 percent from a year ago. Top sirloin steaks are up 3.3 percent YoY at $5.64 per pound while bottom round steaks clock in at $5.54 per pound, up a whopping 68.4 percent from this week last year...