Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024 - 55

" Convenience yes, good nutrition yes, affordable please, " Super said.
" Chicken marketers are more fully recognizing this dynamic and adroitly
working within the expanding supermarket fresh meat department to
meet these 'needs.' "
Consumer surveys have found that food inflation over the past two
years has caused well more than half of food shoppers to change their
grocery buying pattern.
People are looking for ways to adjust and adapt to higher prices,
Super said, and fortunately for chicken producers and their retail
partners, chicken has become even more of a go-to protein.
For the 52 weeks ending Oct. 27, for instance, chicken volume is up
1.4% while other meats are down - and overall meat volume is down
1.1%, according to Circana's latest Fresh Center of Excellence report.
In addition, chicken dollar sales are up 3.5%, while overall meat
department sales are up just 0.4%.
The popularity of boneless/
skinless breast meat is not waning.
It's just that consumers are becoming
much more open to include all
parts of chicken in their meals. "
Tom Super, National Chicken Council
Dark meat trending
In their search for value, consumers continue to buy more thighs and
drumsticks, Super said.
" The popularity of boneless/ skinless breast meat is not waning. It's
just that consumers are becoming much more open to include all parts
of chicken in their meals. "
As long as prices continue to be higher than usual, consumers will
continue to gravitate to retail over foodservice.
Retailers would do well, Super said, to make sure their websites,
in-store magazines, and other customer touch points feature plenty of
recipes and tips on how to make their favorite restaurant meals at home.
Year over year, the fresh chicken category outpaces the growth
of all other proteins, according to Perdue, and a lot of that has to do
with price.
" We've seen consumers eager for less expensive yet still nutritious
meals, due to the current economy, " said a Perdue spokesperson. " This
has translated into consumers prioritizing chicken over other proteins,
as it is typically less expensive. "
Within the chicken category, budget-minded consumers are buying
more family/bulk packs and choosing less expensive cuts of meat like
dark or ground meat.
With lingering inflation, Wayne-Sanderson has definitely seen a
shift in demand to more price- sensitive cuts, Gadd said. That should
continue to be the case in 2024.
The company has adjusted in part by prioritizing production time
within its facilities to accommodate shifts in demand for lower-cost cuts
of chicken, Gadd said.
supermarketperimeter.com
FEBRUARY 2024 - 55
HEALTHIER OPTIONS
Health continues to be at the forefront of consumers'
minds, and Wayne-Sanderson Farms is tailoring its
product mix and messaging accordingly.
" The conversations around health and wellness with
our food are ever present, but what we're seeing more
is a craving from consumers to find a healthy balance
in their lives, " said David Gadd, the company's vice
president of retail sales.
In recognition of that trend, Wayne-Sanderson has
launched a new campaign, " It's All Good, " whose goal
is to help consumers get off the pendulum swinging
between strict diets and unhealthy indulgences and
simply make food that makes them feel their best.
" Whether we need to fuel up or feed our comfort
cravings, Sanderson Farms chicken is a key part of
finding a healthy balance, " he said.
Perdue officials agree that health will continue to be
top of mind for consumers in 2024. The company
is set to meet the demand with products including
Perdue Perfect Portions All Natural, Perdue Fresh
Cuts Diced and Perdue Ground Chicken.
They're not only healthy, according to Perdue, they're
also all easy to prepare, meeting the ever-growing
need among many consumers for convenience.
Perdue Perfect Portions, for example, feature
individually wrapped fresh cuts of chicken that cook
evenly in 10 minutes or less.
Perdue Fresh Cuts, meanwhile, offers consumers a
fresh, pre-cut, pan-ready convenience option.
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - February 2024
