4/5/2013
Although 73% of grocery retailers selling fresh meat offer a butcher service counter, 68% of meat is bought in prepackaged form from the self-service case, according to the American Meat Institute and the Food Marketing Institute. More than seven in 10 grocery shoppers (72%) consider the quality of prepackaged meat to be at least as good as that available from an in-store butcher.
More than a quarter of U.S. shoppers (26%) buy organic/natural meat or poultry, and their preferences and shopping habits differ from those of other meat buyers. Shoppers who buy organic meats spend an average of $132.79 per week on groceries, compared to the overall average of $103.42. They’re almost twice as likely as meat shoppers overall to prefer national branded meat and poultry over private-label items (31% of organic shoppers vs. 18% of all shoppers).
Supermarkets account for two-thirds of meat purchases (66%) but only 47% of organic meat purchases. Natural foods specialty stores account for 17% of organic meat purchases, but only 2% of overall meat purchases. One in four shoppers (24%) plans to increase purchases of organic meats in the next three months, while another 66% plan to buy the same amount of organic meat as they do now. More than four in 10 shoppers (44%) with annual household incomes of $100,000 or more expect to buy more organic meat in the next three months. Shoppers who buy organic meats are more likely than overall shoppers to practice healthy eating strategies such as choosing leaner cuts of meat regularly (62% vs. 53%) and buying fish or seafood instead of meat regularly (43% vs. 30%).
Shoppers are most likely to be influenced in their meat purchases by packages labeled with USDA meat grades (67%), “steroid-free” (58%), “hormone-free” (56%), natural (54%), and Angus beef (53%).
Although 72% of shoppers feel that there is sufficient health and nutrition information available in-store and on-package for meat and poultry, many confess that they don’t always make an effort to choose healthy meat items.
Price is a significant factor in meat purchase decisions. More than half of shoppers (55%) say they compare prices among items within the meat department of their preferred store every time they shop. Nearly half (45%) compare prices of meat at different stores every time they shop. Consumers use a variety of strategies to save money on meat, including trading down to less-expensive cuts, checking store ads for specials, and stocking up during sales.
Source: “The Power of Meat 2013: An In-Depth Look at Meat Through the Shoppers’ Eyes,” American Meat Institute and Food Marketing Institute. American Meat Institute, Jessica Mosley, Director of Education, 1150 Connecticut Ave., NW, 12th Fl., Washington, DC 20036; 202-587-4200; jmosley@meatami.com; www.meatami.com. Food Marketing Institute, Laurie Gethin, Director of Education, 2345 Crystal Dr., #800, Arlington, VA 22202; 202-452-8444; lgethin@fmi.org; www.fmi.org. Price: $350.
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