As social distancing measures sharpened further and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continued to rise, the final week of March showed ongoing stocking up in food and beverages while non-food stockpiling showed signs of easing. While packaged and frozen food are accounting for a greater share of grocery spending post COVID-19, the demand for meat and poultry remains highly elevated. According to IRI, meat has been the leading sales driver for the perimeter since the onset of coronavirus in the U.S.
During the week of March 29, total perimeter sales were up 12% versus 36% for total meat and poultry (fresh and processed), despite many stores running shorter opening hours. This is on top of the 80% surge the week ending March 15 and 92% the week of March 22. Volume sales have been trailing dollar sales throughout March and were up 28%. In many cases, retailers continued to limit the number of items per household, particularly on popular powerhouses, like ground beef and chicken breast. “I wish I could have bought more meat, but appreciate they are limiting items so everyone has a chance to buy,” noted a shopper on the Retail Feedback Group’s Constant Customer Feedback (CCF) program. “They kept restocking during the day, where other stores are close to empty for fresh produce and meat, given everyone a chance to get some.”