CATEGORY MANAGEMENT | MEAT
Shoppers become more open to meat department options Meat customers are looking beyond price in choosing where to shop
BY RICHARD MITCHELL
Fully stock cases and wide amounts of options add can make meat departments more appealing.
VALUE IS BECOMING a more valuable variable for spurring meat department activity. Despite rising sector prices, cost is less important to the expanding amounts of consumers who are giving priority to such elements as quality, customer service and ease when choosing a destination for meat purchasing, analysts said. Fresh meat volume sales were up 1.8% for the 52 weeks ending July 12 despite a 5.2% average price increase, reports Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm. That includes a 2.1% volume increase for beef, which had a 7.4% average price gain to $7.44 a pound, and a 3% increase for chicken, which had a 1.6% price jump to $3.10 a pound. “Consumers aren’t walking away from meat, but the financial pressure is such that
they are shopping it more strategically,” said Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics LLC, a San Antonio-based market research and marketing strategies firm, and author of The Power of Meat 2026 report, published by Arlington, Va.-based FMI— The Food Industry Association. “Success isn’t about selling more pounds through deeper discounts but creating more value for shoppers every time they visit.” Shoppers are buying smaller packages, watching promotions more closely, switch- ing proteins and planning purchases more intentionally, she said. “Customers also expect meal solutions, convenience and value,” Roerink said. “Simply stocking meat isn’t enough anymore.” Retailers, however, must balance value with profitability, she said. “Operators need to protect margins while also convincing
shoppers that meat remains one of the best investments for feeding a family,” Roerink said. “That requires merchandising beyond price.” Successful operators will make shopping easier rather than cheaper by marketing around meal occasions; cross-merchan- dising meat with produce, bakery and deli selections; and providing recipes that reduce decision fatigue, she said. GIVE THEM OPTIONS Meat department operators also will bene- fit by offering ample choices, Roerink said. “Higher-income shoppers continue buying premium products, while financially con- strained consumers often maintain their preferred brands by purchasing smaller quantities instead of trading down,” she said. “Providing multiple package sizes,
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