Sales Data & Shopper Insights
Take a closer look at the factors impacting beef sales across the country.
direct from the meat case
Get updates on sales trends, shopper preferences and marketing insights.
THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BEEF
Meat and poultry consumption is expected to hit record highs this year. But that good news has been overshadowed by recent headlines about plant-based meat substitutes.
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HINDSIGHT 2020: BEEF’S MARKET TRENDS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC
The pandemic highlighted interesting strengths in the beef industry. Even with inflated prices, consumers still choose beef as their protein of choice. Beef continues to remain the protein of choice for consumers and has proven to be a staple in consumers’ diets.
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BEEF PERFORMANCE AT RETAIL
In this highly competitive retail environment, it is important for retailers to highlight products that drive more dollars to their bottom line. We partnered with NielsenIQ, a syndicated data provider, to conduct a study utilizing their Homescan panel made up of 125,000 consumers. The panel study surveyed retail grocery shoppers and covered three main areas including shopping habits, a "cross-purchase analysis", and a demographic profile.
Some of the greatest tools that retail stores possess to drive consumer demand include various promotional incentives, such as circulating advertisements or digital circulars featuring items, displaying items in prominent positions or with signage in the stores, coupons, and markdowns. These different promotions help draw shoppers’ attention to store departments and the fresh meat department is no exception.
SUMMER GRILLING SEASON’S RETAIL BEEF DEMAND
Defined as the weeks from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the annual summer grilling season is upon us. With consumers increasing their social activity amid improving comfort levels, backyard barbecues and parties will likely increase in prevalence.
Production claims at retail
When a consumer enters a retail store, they have more options today than ever before. Fresh beef receives a lot of focus from consumers and the beef industry is diverse and innovative in the fresh products it offers. Whether it is aging, USDA grade, or what breed of cattle the beef was derived from, consumers can find products in their local retail store to satisfy their needs.
HOLIDAY BEEF TRENDS
Beef retail sales typically increase from the end of November to the end of December, due to increased holiday gatherings. This year was no exception: beef sales were $215 million dollars higher in December than November.
BEEF AND THE RECENT INCREASE IN ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING
Online grocery ordering has expanded its reach and popularity over the past several years, but current events have recently aided its growth. Progressive Grocer and a study by Brick Meets Click report the household penetration for online grocery shopping hit its highest at 33% in May of 2020.
BEEF’S STARRING ROLE IN SUMMER GRILLING SEASON
This year’s Summer Grilling Season is assured to be different than any grilling season we have ever seen. But when it comes to grilling good food, beef is top of mind, as shoppers say beef is frequently their top grilling season protein.
BEEF OPTIONS AT RETAIL
As beef continues to garner positive perceptions from consumers for its taste, value and nutritional benefits, the category also provides several options when it comes production claim labels to highlight how cattle are raised and processed.
CONSUMERS CELEBRATE WINTER HOLIDAYS WITH BEEF
When summer grilling season gives way to winter holiday planning, beef remains center stage. But there’s something about that chill in the air that takes beef buying to a whole new level.
LEAN BEEF CHOICES FOR TODAY'S CONSUMERS
Beef choices abound for today’s shopper. From the indulgent and celebratory Ribeye Steak or Roast to a more affordable – and lean – Sirloin Steak. (Spoiler alert: Tenderloin Steak is also lean.) And, lean cut sales have increased 12% since 2014. But what is lean?
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN CONSUMERS’ LOVE OF BEEF
Consumers value beef for its taste, versatility, convenience and rich nutrients. But how do shoppers’ preferences vary by geography?
BEEF DRIVES HIGHER TOTAL STORE SALES
Driving shopper traffic, particularly for stock-up trips, is critical in today’s highly competitive retail environment. While beef continues to propel meat department performance, it continues to drive total store revenue as well.
RETAIL FEATURE TRENDS: BEEF REMAINS A DRIVER
Whether via in-store signage, paper circulars, digital circulars, store apps or other means, weekly meat and poultry features have long captured shoppers’ attention.
POPULAR AND VERSATILE — GROUND BEEF REIGNS
From high- to low-percent, lean Chuck to Round, patty to meatball and everything in between, Ground Beef is as versatile as it gets.
MIDDLE MEATS: TO THE GRILL AND BEYOND
For many consumers, their love affair with beef begins with the “middle meats” — cuts from the Rib, Loin and Sirloin. And they’ll pay handsomely to keep that love alive.
BEEF DROVE 2018 MEAT DEPARTMENT SALES
Year-end sales data has arrived, and 2018 was an excellent year for beef at retail. Compared to 2017, monthly beef dollar sales were higher throughout the year and total beef sales increased nationwide.
BEEF DEMAND: IT'S BEEN A VERY GOOD YEAR
In 2018, retail beef demand has been strong — but what does it mean? Consumption has indeed been increasing, but that’s only half the story.
WHAT’S TRENDING? BEEF CUTS AT RETAIL
Using IRI/FreshLook retail scanner data, we take a look at the most trending cuts at the retail meat case.
THE RETAIL MEAT CASE: AMERICA’S FAVORITES
Leveraging IRI/FreshLook retail scanner data, we can understand buying behavior at the meat case to determine America's Top 10 Beef Cuts at retail.
shopper insights
BEEF’S SUSTAINABILITY: BEEF’S ROLE IN A RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEM
The path to sustainability is never complete. Rather, it is a continuous journey being carried out by the farmers and ranchers responsible for raising and supplying beef to the U.S. and across the world. To the beef community, sustainability comprises much more than environmental considerations. Today, a sustainable food supply balances efficient production with environmental, social and economic impacts.
BEEF’S ECOMMERCE PUSH DRIVES STRONG RETURN ON SPEND AND COMFORTABILITY WITH ONLINE PURCHASES
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff program and manager of the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. brand has been testing marketing efforts to grow ecommerce engagement and in summer 2020, partnered with Chicory to test various message strategies and determine the impact of those messages on online shopper’s add-to-cart behavior.
THE STATE OF THE CURRENT BEEF CONSUMER
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in consumer shopping shifts unlike any the industry has ever seen. That’s why the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, sought to better understand how domestic consumers have responded to these unprecedented events and to determine which food shopping behaviors will be temporary and which may be permanent, especially for the beef category.
GETTING CONSUMERS TO SHOP RETAIL’S DELI-PREPARED
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, sought to understand more about consumers preferences when it comes to deli-prepared foods to aid retail partners. By conducting an online quantitative survey of 1,193 consumers, NCBA, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, was able to identify opportunities and challenges to getting consumers to shop the deli-prepared section of their grocery store.
2020: CONSUMER’S HOLIDAY MINDSET AMID A PANDEMIC
The holiday season is in the not so distant future. This time of year, shopping begins to ramp up and gatherings are top of mind, but with a year like no other, how will COVID-19 impact the holiday spirit? In an effort to understand this better the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, launched a consumer survey with over 1,000 consumers to better understand how the 2020 holiday season may be different than any other year.
ASSESSING STOCKING UP BEHAVIOR TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE
To say consumer behavior around food has shifted this spring due to COVID-19 would be an understatement. One of the most jarring examples of the changes were empty store shelves across the country, caused by consumers stocking up on food and supplies. While this dynamic was short-lived, the widespread magnitude was something many generations in the U.S had never faced before. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, set out to understand how COVID-19 shifted consumer thinking and how those shifts impact beef purchasing.
IT’S NOT JUST MILLENNIALS: HOW BEEF. IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER. SEGMENTS CONSUMERS
Beef caters to a wide variety of consumers. From young to old, East Coast to West Coast, beef is something almost everyone enjoys. But not all consumers approach how they eat in the same way. For example, consumers can have differing views when it comes to their protein choices, where their food comes from, and what’s important during mealtime. Unsurprisingly, factors such as age, marital status, or whether someone has kids can affect how they think about and eat beef. To understand more about these differences, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, sought to learn more about consumers when it comes their behaviors that influence how they shop, eat, and dine.
CONSUMERS CONSIDER BEEF A TOP PROTEIN
Though there are a variety of potential threats to the industry, consumers are still eating a lot of beef. Since 2015, beef consumption has increased over 3 pounds per capita annually, to a projected total of almost 58 pounds by the end of 2019.
LOVE BEEF TENDER: HOW AGING AFFECTS BEEF’S TENDERNESS
Tenderness is one of the biggest influencers of consumer approval of beef. Since most consumers can differentiate between tough and tender beef, improving tenderness is a high priority for the beef industry. One of the best methods to do this is by aging beef.
More than 1,750 Annual Meat Conference attendees, including retailers, processors and packers, learned that beef is the most valuable protein in terms of sales and how the Beef Quality Assurance program is helping improve consumer attitudes about beef.
While your shoppers may not be able to see a “label” that says BQA certified, both you and your customers can feel good knowing that 85% of beef in the U.S. comes from a BQA certified farmer or rancher.
FROM THE DIGITAL SHELF TO YOUR SHOPPER’S DOOR
We executed two campaigns with Instacart — one digital and one in-store — to measure the effectiveness of varied marketing messages and strategies. See the results for yourself.
IT’S PRIME TIME TO MARKET PRIME BEEF
Thanks to advances farmers and ranchers have made in technology, genetics, and nutrition, there’s more higher-quality beef in the marketplace than ever.
When summer grilling season gives way to winter holiday planning, beef remains center stage. But there’s something about that chill in the air that takes beef buying to a whole new level.