Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+

Lamb and beef had the highest levels of inflation on above-average base pricing. On the fresh meat side, turkey prices were down year-on-year and chicken inflation was very low at 1.1%. On the processed meat side, hot dogs had the highest price increases, whereas prices of processed chicken (nuggets, strips, etc.) were up very modestly compared with November 2024.  

Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+

Meat sales 

The four-week month of November generated $9.2 billion in meat department sales, reflecting strong everyday and holiday demand. Pound sales increased 2.9% versus November 2024. This increase was fully driven by fresh meat sales that increased 4.1% in November while processed meat sales were down 0.7%.  

Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+

Meat department sales have been positive since the first quarter of 2023, with increases ranging from 0.3% to 7.3%. In all cases, dollar gains were a combination of inflation and demand growth. While the second quarter of 2025 benefitted from the late Easter timing, November pound sales continued to grow contrary to trends in many other departments across the store.

Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+

Mirroring the total store patterns, volume sales were off during the first week of November. However, the second and third week of the month more than made up for the initial weak start. Volume sales increased nearly 6% in the third week of November and continued their positive momentum into the holiday week. 

Assortment

During the holiday month, the average number of items rose by about 10 items, to reach an average of 466 items per store.

Fresh meat sales by protein 

Beef’s reign continued, generating $3.4 billion in the four November weeks. This was up 12.4% in dollars while pound sales grew 4.1%. In the full-year view, beef volume sales grew 4.4%, followed by chicken, at 3.1%. 

Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, MULO+

Processed meat 

Patterns were mixed for processed meat. Lunchmeat sales continued to trend down in November, whereas dinner and breakfast sausage and processed chicken showed substantial gains. Hot dogs gained in dollars, but were down in volume.  

Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+

Grinds
 Ground beef sales remained exceptionally strong in November, generating $1.3 billion over the four-week period, a 17.7% increase year-over-year. Growth was primarily driven by price, though volume rose 3.5%. Ground chicken also posted impressive gains, with a 33.7% increase in sales, albeit from a smaller base.

Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+

What’s next?

• 2026 marks the beginning of a transition toward Gen X and Millennial economic dominance after decades of a Boomer-led marketplace. Though Gen X is the smallest generation, its household size and income levels make it a high-value consumer group across many categories.
• Circana research shows GLP-1 medication use is likely to continue rising through the end of the decade. Individuals using GLP-1 medications now account for an estimated 10%-14% of the population, with new patient prescriptions up 16% year-over-year, which reflects an additional 2.9 million scripts. 
• Weight management remains the top health goal of GLP-1 users, rising 42 points over last year. 
• Users are more likely to be Gen X and higher-income households.
• GLP-1 users focus more on products higher in protein, fiber and healthy fats, while reducing purchases of items high in carbohydrates and sugar. Despite shifts in category mix, overall CPG spending among GLP-1 users continues to outpace that of non-users.
• As consumers move in and out of active GLP-1 use, many are sustaining the healthier behaviors they adopted, while others revert to pre-medication habits. Maintaining clarity on these diverging behavioral paths will be important for anticipating long-term demand patterns.