Following two consecutive years with sales of more than 600 million pounds, grocery store meat departments across the U.S. sold 548.5 million pounds of the Certified Angus Beef ® brand in fiscal 2022.
As the value of the dollar tightened toward the end of the fiscal year, retail partners identified opportunities for ground beef, a versatile and less costly item for shoppers. Ground beef sales reached a record 261.7 million pounds, 10.7% above 2021. Supporting a bump in Certified Angus Beef ® Natural sales, too, the extension is up 4.7 million pounds for a 7% increase in 2022. Retailers also drive the majority of Certified Angus Beef ® Prime sales, providing at-home cooks with an elevated eating experience.
“The consumer price index is anticipating more shoppers returning to store aisles in 2023,” says David O’Diam, vice president of retail for the brand. “Looking to stretch their dollar a little more, what consumers won’t do is compromise on quality.”
While shoppers look for brands they trust, store owners and managers are looking for opportunities to be smart with their dollar too.
“We’re starting to see people be more aggressive about market share and use the brand to do so,” O’Diam says. “If labor hours are tight, what do you want to use your labor hours on? What’s going to drive the most dollars?”
Having the Certified Angus Beef ® brand available in store can bring shoppers in and garner a more premium basket.
“Beef continues to be the driver of basket size, the driver of gross profit dollars, the driver of sales dollars,” he continues. “Utilizing the brand is more important today than ever before. And having tools like Steakholder Rewards TM and ways to engage with that premium shopper are even more necessary.”
Read more stories from the 2022 Brand Update here.
