During a year when consumers moved toward a more normal state of life, foodservice beef sales recalibrated to higher levels that are more typical of the industry, and online grocery beef purchases grew. Beef quality and consumers’ perceptions of beef remained strong and positive this year as they had in 2020.
Beef Demand There is no doubt consumers’ love for beef persisted through the pandemic, and it continues today. Beef proved to be an important staple in consumer diets through the pandemic; ground beef was a popular product at retail, due to its versatility in various recipes and its ability to be frozen. The price of steak and ground beef has grown since the onset of the pandemic, due to higher demand, lower supplies at times, and economic inflation, but consumers have remained steadfast in their willingness to pay current beef prices. Beef volume demand dipped eight percent from January to June 2021 compared to the same time last year; however demand is four percent higher than it was in 2019, which is referenced as a pre-pandemic baseline1. Dollars of beef sold in the first half of 2021 declined by five percent year over year and were 20 percent higher than 2019 levels1.