What's For Dinner 2011: Trends in Center of Plate Proteins

• Publication date: March 2011

Continuing behaviors adopted during the recession, American consumers are eating in more, which is beneficial to the fresh protein businesses of meat, poultry and seafood alike. However, consumers are also choosing less expensive cuts of meat, stocking up on sales, and looking for deals. Moreover, in the current market landscape, where even drugstores are selling prepared foods, groceries are facing more dinnertime competition than ever before,...

Continuing behaviors adopted during the recession, American consumers are eating in more, which is beneficial to the fresh protein businesses of meat, poultry and seafood alike. However, consumers are also choosing less expensive cuts of meat, stocking up on sales, and looking for deals. Moreover, in the current market landscape, where even drugstores are selling prepared foods, groceries are facing more dinnertime competition than ever before, including from supercenters and warehouse clubs emphasizing fresh center-plate options. During this “new normal” economy, consumers’ value focus has also given a boost to private-label center-plate proteins, which are growing in importance as supermarkets use store brands to help differentiate themselves and build shopper loyalty.


This report examines the proteins that U.S. consumers place “center of plate” for the dinner daypart, including meats (beef, pork, lamb, etc.), poultry (chicken and turkey), and seafood (fish and shellfish). It focuses on fresh (refrigerated) protein products cooked at home, which encompass raw products in general as well as value-added products for sale at meat and seafood counters (e.g., pre-marinated meats, pre-skewered kabobs, etc.). The report examines the forces driving consumer choices, including economic factors, the healthfulness of various products, personal tastes and preferences, culinary trends, convenience, cooking skills, and environmental factors. Consumer shopping habits are also be examined, as are trends among those involved in this industry, including suppliers of the center-plate protein products and the retailers in which consumers buy them.


The report covers the market from all angles, including marketer/brand share by center-plate fresh protein type, marketing and new product trends, retail and merchandising trends, and consumer trends, with focus discussions on topics including private label, natural, and alternative retail formats. A special feature of this all-new report is custom data from Packaged Facts’ own consumer survey, which is based on a national online poll conducted in October 2010.

Biotechnology Industry in the United States

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Scope & Methodology

Scope of Report

SymphonyIRI Categories

Report Methodology

Market Trends

Center-Plate Dinner Protein Sales at $43 Billion

Packaged Fresh Center-Plate Dinner Proteins Top $5 Billion

Figure 1-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: 2006, 2010, 2015 (in millions of $)

SymphonyIRI Sales at Approximately $3 Billion

Poultry Category and Chicken Segment Lead

Meat-Buying Consumers Remain Cost-Conscious

Eating In Tonight

Restaurants Against the Ropes

Competitive Trends

Top Poultry Companies and Brands

Top Meat Companies and Brands

Top Seafood Companies and Brands

Private Label Dominates All Categories

Smaller Companies Seek Niches

Product Trends

Center-Plate Introductions Bounce Back in 2010

“Private Label” Claim on Top for 2010

Grocers Lead New Product Launches

Celebrity Appeal

“Kosher” Connotes Superior Quality

Retail Trends

Center-Plate Protein Resists Crossing Over

Supermarkets Use Meats as a Draw

Resurgence of the Butcher

Farmers’ Markets and Communal Buying

Consumer Trends

Recessionary Trends Widen Center-Plate Market

Figure 1-2: Cooking Meals at Home and Center-Plate Protein Choices: Selected Psychographics, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Hamburger, Chicken Parts Are Most Popular Cuts

Winners and Losers in Weekly Usage Rates

Demographics for Center-Plate Protein Consumers

Chapter 2: Market Trends

Scope of Report

SymphonyIRI Categories

USDA-FSIS Regulates U.S. Meat Supply

Branded, or Not

Marketing Terms Used on Meat Labels

Basted, or Self-Basted

Certified

Certified Humane

Cooking Instructions

Enhanced

Ethical

Free Range

Fresh Poultry

Grass Fed

Natural

Naturally Raised

“Never Ever 3” / USDA Process Verified Program

Organic

Oven Ready

Value-Added

Grades for Meat Products

Table 2-1: Beef Quality Grades

Pork Quality Grades

Poultry Quality Grades

Seafood Claims

Market Size and Growth

Center-Plate Dinner Protein Sales at $43 Billion

Packaged Fresh Center-Plate Dinner Proteins Top $5 Billion

Table 2-2: U.S. Retail Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: 2006-2010 (in millions of dollars)

SymphonyIRI Sales at Approximately $3 Billion

Table 2-3: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Dollar Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: By Category and Segment, 2010 vs. 2009 (in millions of dollars)

Table 2-4: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Unit Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: By Category and Segment, 2010 vs. 2009 (in millions of dollars)

Table 2-5: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Volume Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: By Category and Segment, 2010 vs. 2009 (in millions of dollars)

Poultry Category and Chicken Segment Lead

Table 2-6: Share of SymphonyIRI-Tracked Dollar, Unit and Volume Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins by Category: Poultry, Meat, Seafood, 2010 vs. 2009 (percent)

Table 2-7: Share of SymphonyIRI-Tracked Dollar, Unit and Volume Sales of Center-Plate Poultry by Segment: Chicken, Turkey, Other, 2010 vs. 2009 (percent)

Refrigerated vs. Frozen

Figure 2-1: Share of SymphonyIRI-Tracked Meat Sales: Refrigerated vs. Frozen, 2010 (percent)

Figure 2-2: Share of SymphonyIRI-Tracked Seafood Sales: Refrigerated vs. Frozen, 2010 (percent)

Table 2-8: Types of Seafood Consumed, 2008

American Diet Heavy on Red Meat, But Chicken Most Popular

Figure 2-3: Share of Meat Consumption in the United States: Meat, Chicken, Fish/Shellfish, 2008 (percent)

Table 2-9: Retail Availability of Animal Protein, 2001-2008 (pounds per capita)

Share of Sales by Retail Channel

Table 2-10: Share of U.S. Retail Sales of Dinner Center-Plate Proteins by Channel: 2010 vs. 2007 (percent)

Market Outlook

Shoppers, Retailers Adapting to “New Normal”

Consumer Confidence Still in a Trough

Meat-Buying Consumers Remain Cost-Conscious

Longer Shopping Lists

Eating In Tonight

Restaurants Against the Ropes

Figure 2-4: Impact of Recession on Consumer Cooking and Restaurant Habits, May/June 2010 (percent of U.S. adults)

Food at Home Gains Pricing Edge

Restaurants in Front of Food Trends

A Food-Focused Culture

Sustainable Butchery Trend Gives Beef New Chops

Figure 2-5: Percent of U.S. Households Using Center-Plate Proteins in Last 7 Days: By Type, 2005 vs. 2010

Dietary Guidelines to Boost Seafood, De-Emphasize Meat

Private-Label on the Ups

Cheap Meat and Health

BP Oil Spill Has Little Effect on Seafood Supply

Food Safety Modernization Act Becomes Law

Looking Ahead

Table 2-11: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Packaged Fresh Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: 2010-2015 (in millions of dollars)

Chapter 3: Competitive Trends

Methodology

Top Poultry Companies and Brands

Top Meat Companies and Brands

Top Seafood Companies and Brands

Private Label Dominates All Categories

In the Meat Case, Supplier Brands Losing Out

Figure 3-1: Branded Items in Meat Case: Beef, Ground Beef, Pork and Chicken, 2004, 2007 and 2010 (percent)

Private-Label Meats, Poultry & Seafood Worth $4.8 Billion

Figure 3-2: Private-Label Meat, Poultry and Seafood Retail Sales and Share of Total Meat, Poultry and Seafood Retail Sales, 2005-2009 (in millions of dollars)

Brazilian JBS Pushes into USA

Smaller Companies Seek Niches

Beefing Up Natural Lines

Meat for the Hispanic Market

Meal Kits for Convenience

Check-Offs Promote Meat

Country-of-Origin Labeling

COOL Loopholes

Meat Prices Expected to Go Higher

Table 3-1: Top Center-Plate Poultry Companies by SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales and Category Share: 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-2: Top Center-Plate Poultry Brands by SymphonyIRITracked Sales and Category Share: 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-3: Top Center-Plate Meat Companies by SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales and Category Share: 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-4: Top Center-Plate Meat Brands by SymphonyIRITracked Sales and Category Share: 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-5: Top Center-Plate Seafood Companies by SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales and Category Share: 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-6: Top Center-Plate Seafood Brands by SymphonyIRITracked Sales and Category Share: 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Table 3-7: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales of Private-Label Dinner Center-Plate Proteins: Meat, Poultry and Seafood, By Category, 2009 vs. 2010 (in millions of dollars)

Chapter 4: Product Trends

Center-Plate Introductions Bounce Back in 2010

Table 4-1: Number of Center-Plate Dinner Protein New Product Reports and SKUs, 2006-2010

“Private Label” Claim on Top for 2010

Table 4-2: Top Package Tags/Claims for New Dinner Center-Plate Protein Products, 2006-2010 (number)

Grocers Lead New Product Launches

Table 4-3: Number of Dinner Center-Plate Protein Products by Company, 2009-2010 (number)

Celebrity Appeal

Alcohol Brand Extensions

“Kosher” Connotes Superior Quality

Looking to Package Labels

Nutrition Labels

Cooking Information

Natural and Organic Claims

Figure 4-1: Total Production Claims on Meat-Case Products (percent of packages)

Smart Phone Integration

Local Meats for Safety and Taste

Seafood States Tout Local Advantages

Meat Trends

Natural Beef

Grass vs. Grain

Meats Off the Beaten Path

From Cavemen to Flexitarians

Poultry Trends

Poultry Leads Organic Segment

Backyard Coops

“Enhancing” Chicken with Broth

Fish Trends

Sustainability is Uncertain

Environmentalists Engage Grocers

On the Farm

Tilapia Swims to Center of Plate

(Un)Healthy and (Non-)Organic Fish

Chapter 5: Retail Trends

Center-Plate Protein Resists Crossing Over

Table 5-1: Retail Channel Popularity for Fresh Meat and Poultry Purchases, 2010 (percent)

Table 5-2: Retail Channel Popularity for Raw Fish and Fresh Seafood Purchases (percent)

Supermarkets Use Meats as Draw

Supermarkets vs. Supercenters

Selecting a Primary Store

Butcher or Meat Packer?

Supercenters Feeling the Power

Mass Merchandisers Carry the Most Items Overall

Target’s PFresh Puts New Emphasis on Perishables

Tesco Sets the Pace for Small Marts

Whole Foods a Natural Standout in Center-Plate Category

Internet Market Small But Growing

Resurgence of the Butcher

Farmers’ Markets and Communal Buying

Chapter 6: Consumer Trends

Introduction

Notes on Data

Recessionary Trends Widen Center-Plate Market

Figure 6-1: Cooking Meals at Home and Center-Plate Protein Choices: Selected Psychographics, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Figure 6-2: Percent Using Fresh Meat, Poultry or Fish Weekly, 2006-2010 (U.S. households)

Health and Flavor Considerations Affect Choices

Table 6-1: Health Considerations and Center-Plate Protein Choices: Selected Psychographics, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Cooking Skills and Convenience

Table 6-2: Cooking Skills and Center-Plate Protein Choices: Selected Psychographics, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Contamination, Cost Issues Can Put Off Buyers

Figure 6-3: Cooking Skills and Center-Plate Protein Choices: Cost Concerns, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Hamburger, Chicken Parts Are Most Popular Cuts

Table 6-3: Most Popular Meat or Poultry Types/Cuts Among Those Who Have Purchased Fresh Meat or Poultry in the Last 3 Months, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Salmon and Shrimp Are Top Seafood Choices

Table 6-4: Most Popular Fresh Fish Types Among Those Who Have Purchased Fresh Fish in the Last 3 Months, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Table 6-5: Most Popular Types of Shellfish Among Those Who Have Purchased Seafood Other Than Fish in the Last 3

Months, October 2010 (percent of adults)

Beef Steak, Pork Chops, and Chicken Breast Show Broadest Usage

Table 6-6: Overall Usage Rates for Center-Plate Proteins by Type/Cut, 2010 (percent of households)

Usage Rates by Time Frame for Center-Plate Proteins

Table 6-7: Usage Rates for Center-Plate Proteins by Type/Cut: In Last 6 Months, 2010 (percent of households)

Table 6-8: Usage Rates for Center-Plate Proteins by Type/Cut: In Last 7 Days, 2010 (percent of households)

The Long View: Winners and Losers in Weekly Usage Rates

Table 6-9: Percent Using Center-Plate Proteins in Last 7 Days: By Category, 2005-2010 (households)

Demographics for Center-Plate Proteins Consumers

Demographics of Those Less Likely to Regularly Buy Center-Plate Proteins

Here’s the Beef

Varied Patterns for Pork Usage

Chicken for the Middle-Class

Young Skew to Turkey Users

Fish and Seafood Appeal to Urban, Educated, and Wealthy

Psychographics of Center-Plate Protein Consumers

Beef Eaters as Weekend Cooks

Pork Has Weaker Draw Among Fitness & Nutrition Crowd

Chicken Consumers Are Not the Convenience Crowd

Trendy Turkey

Fresh Fish Fans Are Foodies

Table 6-10: Demographics of Those Who Have Used Center-Plate Proteins in Last 7 Days: By Category, 2010 (household index)

Table 6-11: Psychographics of Those Who Have Used Center-Plate Proteins in Last 7 Days: By Category, 2010 (household index)

Appendix: Addressess of Selected Marketers