FEATURE | FRESH SURVEY
In fresh, grocers face pressure to better connect with today’s shoppers Survey shows purchasing behavior is “fine” but no one is really reaching the younger generation
products such as organic produce rather than broad inflation. Yet Parker believes those numbers tell only part of the story. “I think produce is missing a moment,” she said. Growth remains positive The Supermarket News survey found most retailers experienced fresh sales gains during the past 12 months, with many expecting additional growth over the next year despite persistent economic uncertainty. Prepared foods emerged as one of the strongest-performing departments. Retailers identified prepared foods as the area most likely to receive expanded assortments, additional floor space and new investment over the coming year. The category also ranked among the stron- gest for improving margins, reinforcing the department’s growing importance as supermarkets compete with restaurants, warehouse clubs and convenience retailers for meal occasions. Meat remained the cornerstone of most fresh departments, with retailers continuing to identify it as their signature category and one of the primary reasons shoppers choose traditional supermarkets over competing formats. Meat has been resilient despite higher prices with consumers increasingly viewing protein as an essential part of a healthy diet rather than a discretionary purchase. Even more surprising is the strength in beef. While you would expect chicken and pork to do well given their more favorable price per pound, beef is, by far, the largest con- tributor in sales but also continues to grow substantially in dollars and pounds. “Much of that is Gen Z and millenni- als coming into the category rapidly, but also meat moving from villain to vital,” Anne-Marie Roerink, president and founder of 210 Analytics, told Supermarket News . “Beef was in the crosshairs for many years relative to health, but consumers’ focus on protein, nutrient density and many other micro nutrients has renewed interest in beef.” Even with that momentum, retailers acknowledged fresh departments face increasing operational complexity.
BY BILL WILSON/SN STAFF
FRESH DEPARTMENTS continue to serve as a defining feature for supermarkets, but Supermarket News’ 2026 Fresh Foods Survey suggests retailers face mounting pressure to evolve beyond traditional mer- chandising as consumer expectations shift and competition intensifies across grocery channels. While retailers remain optimistic about the outlook for fresh foods, many say labor shortages, shrinking margins and heightened competition are forcing them to rethink how they market and merchandise produce, meat, deli and prepared foods. The Supermarket News ’ 2026 Fresh Foods Survey gathered responses from supermarket operators across the United States. While many retailers reported year- over-year growth in fresh sales and expect
additional gains during the coming year, the survey also found that operational chal- lenges continue to weigh on departments that have long served as a key differentia- tor for traditional supermarkets. Those findings closely mirror Circana’s latest consumer data, which show fresh produce sales remain positive but are failing to capitalize on strong consumer interest in healthier eating. “Produce is fine with a capital F-I-N-E,” Jonna Parker, vice president and team lead of Circana’s Fresh Foods Group, told Super- market News . Through June, produce dollar sales were up roughly 1.6% while pound volume remained essentially flat, Parker said. Price per pound increased only modestly, driven largely by shoppers trading into premium
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