Supermarket Perimeter - January 2021 - 37

DELI MEATS ALSO
SEEING INCREASE

program, Meyer said. Case-ready meat products offer retail shoppers
convenience and quality that are trending in the self-service meat case
versus options available at many full-service fresh meat counters, said
Kent Harrison, vice president of premium programs and market for
Tyson Fresh Meats.
That's become even more important in the COVID era.
" Consumers are looking for changes in how meat is packaged and
paying close attention to the meat they buy in the store, " he said.
The new product line also allows retailers to minimize labor costs
with exact-weight products that require no cutting, weighing or
packaging at the store level in addition to extended shelf life, reduced
shrink and leakproof packaging.
" Luckily for fresh meat retailers, the packaging innovations that
consumers seek may also help alleviate two of their long-term issues:
labor and shrink, " Harrison said.
" We're excited to offer our retail customers a branded case-ready
product that their shoppers can feel good about buying, knowing that
they are feeding their families a wholesome protein from responsibly
raised animals. "
supermarketperimeter.com

Case-ready, fresh sliced deli has been a growing
category for Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods for
several years, said Holly Lavallie, marketing director
for Hormel's Deli Solutions Group.
" We see this as a real opportunity for retailers
to capitalize on the trend, even with the current
pandemic, by continuing to provide convenient and
ﬂavorful options, " she said. " The deli fresh category
has been growing for years, and the current COVID
situation has simply accelerated the rate of change
and required retailers to implement solutions faster. "
In addition, she said, consumers have adapted and
are more comfortable to the new ways of buying their
favorite high quality deli meats.
Hormel is tracking three key drivers of the
consumer shift toward fresh sliced deli meats.
The ﬁrst, Lavallie said, is convenience. People have
less time and don't want to wait in line in the deli. But
they still want the same high-quality meats.
The second reason is labor-related.
" It's hard to staff the deli area 24 hours a day, "
Lavallie said. " With deli fresh, the items can be
set out in the morning and shopped all day long
regardless of deli staffing. Finally, she added, fresh
sliced offers retailers an easier way to service their
customers through online shopping.
" Retailers save on labor and time spent on training
as well handling of clearing out product that may not
be selling through fast enough and spoiling. "
Hormel Deli Solutions is in a great position, Lavallie
added, to leverage two of its top brands - Columbus
Craft Meats and Hormel 1891 - to offer highquality deli meats in a deli fresh option. The company
also can apply its consumer insights and category
leadership knowledge to partner with retailers and
help them build their own custom programs, she said.
" Hormel Deli Solutions is a leader in helping
retailers add a fresh sliced program to their stores.
We can provide high quality and on-trend products,
brands, training, merchandising support, as well as
thought leadership and analytics support to drive this
exciting change in the retail deli landscape. "

JANUARY 2021 - 37

http://www.supermarketperimeter.com

Supermarket Perimeter - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - January 2021