The bacon category, including refrigerated bacon and non-branded random weight bacon, recorded its highest dollar sales in five years for the 52 weeks ending July 15, according to Chicago-based IRI data of total U.S. multi-outlets. The entire bacon category posted $4.9 billion in sales, which was up from $4.7 billion for the same period the year before, IRI reports. Refrigerated and random weight bacons also are outpacing the total meat department, IRI reports.
“Bacon has been a total store superstar for the last two decades,” says Jonna Parker, principal of IRI Fresh.