Supermarket Perimeter - March 2019 - 34

Meat & Poultry

The
average
retail price of
beef rose 12.7%
to $4.95 lb.
from 2012
to 2018.

Confident consumers, better
quality drive big gains at retail
BY ANDY NELSON

"BEEF -IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER" is one of the most
recognizable slogans in the history of food marketing.
It also happens to be getting truer every year. Retail
beef sales have enjoyed a steady uptick in the past decade-plus, as have volumes and per-pound prices.
And with the U.S. economy humming and more people than ever in the work force, people are splurging on
higher-end cuts. (And an increase in grade quality makes
sure they keep coming back.)
The top beef cuts being sold at grocery retail today
include rib eye steak, strip steak, t-bone steak, stewed
meats and chuck roast, says Alison Krebs, director of
market intelligence for the Denver-based National
Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef
Checkoff.
In the category of fastest-growing, meanwhile (biggest gains from 2012 to 2018) are t-bone, rib eye and
tenderloin fillet, Krebs says.
"We've seen consumers respond very well to increases in the quality of grades over time with steak," she says.
"Moving into choice and prime has created some really
nice interest in some of those high-end cuts."
That increase in quality has dovetailed nicely with an
increase in consumer spending power. "The economy is
certainly a contributing factor," Krebs says. "People have
more spending money, they're more secure in where
the economy is and, as a result, they want a good beef
experience, enjoying some of the top-end cuts."
John Tarpoff, vice president of beef for Niman Ranch,
Northglenn, Colorado, agrees that quality is the key. At
Niman Ranch, which produces Certified Angus Beef
Choice and Prime with no antibiotics or added hormones, prime beef often makes up more than half of
all beef being sold by the company at any given time.
Historically, the industry standard has been below 5%.
Niman Ranch has introduced several new products
recently, including a 2-piece top sirloin, split cap-off 103
ribs, cap-off sirloins and coulottes, Tarpoff says. On the
prepared side, the company has new navel pastrami and
roast beef products.
34 - MARCH 2019

Prime beef often makes up
more than half of all Niman
Ranch beef sold at retail.

Source: IRI/Freshlook

Later this year, Niman Ranch has plans
to further develop its prepared offerings to
meet ever-growing consumer demand for
the highest quality and finest tasting products in a "case ready" format. "BBQ beef,
uncooked corned beef brisket, and beef
bacon are just three items that we currently have in development," Tarpoff says.
"When a consumer purchases a Niman
product, they feel confident they're getting
the best," he says. "Superior genetics, proper nutrition, humane care and husbandry
practices are three significant components that build the
foundation of Niman Ranch beef."

Adding value
Another trend in retail beef sales - an increase in meat
case "additions" - is being driven by consumers' ever-increasing desire for convenience. Product with additions
include cuts that have been seasoned, marinaded, breaded, basted or cut and paired with other products, like
meat-and-vegetable kabobs. In the past couple of years,
the Beef Association has noticed an uptick in demand
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NIMAN RANCH, KATHY KRINKE, SMITH CHETANACHAN - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Beef

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Supermarket Perimeter - March 2019

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