The pandemic has proven to be an interesting time for the seafood industry. After a year of rapid category growth at retail and looking ahead as consumers slowly head back into restaurants where seafood is historically king, we believe sales will continue to climb as Alaska seafood can meet consumers’ needs and exceed their expectations.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) recently conducted research via Datassential to uncover seafood consumption trends in the wake of the pandemic. The Datassential study found nearly half (49 percent) of all consumers are trying to increase their consumption of seafood (compared to just 36 percent who are looking to increase their consumption of chicken, 23 percent beef, 17 percent pork, and 23 percent veggie burgers), primarily because of seafood’s health attributes and taste. Furthermore, 35 percent of consumers are cooking more seafood at home, with most planning to continue. The motivating factors for choosing seafood over other proteins include: more fresh options (88 percent), all-natural options (86 percent), easy recipe ideas (85 percent), healthy recipe ideas (85 percent), product of the USA (83 percent), wild-caught (82 percent) and health benefits (73 percent). In addition, the Alaska name is a strong purchase driver, with customers choosing wild Alaska king crab, wild Alaska pollock and wild Alaska salmon over other options.