Christine Blank

U.S. restaurant sales and traffic slowed in 2024, and for some individual chains, those negative trends have continued into 2025.

Sales among the nation’s 500 largest restaurant chains increased 3.1 percent in 2024, but that was the lowest annual increase in 10 years – excluding the Covid-19-related slowdown in 2020 – according to Technomic’s 2025 Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. 

The report also found that nearly 40

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Significant proposed regulatory changes within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with large layoffs that have occurred across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – which oversees the FDA – could greatly affect seafood importers, processors, and other industry stakeholders in the near future, according to a former FDA seafood specialist.

The recent HHS layoffs, which total nearly 20,000, include

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Fortress Credit, one of the owners of U.S. restaurant chain Red Lobster, wants to hold off on mediating its lawsuit against Thai Union North America (TUNA) for USD 65 million (EUR 56.8 million), but Thai Union has signaled it is open to settle the case sooner. 

Red Lobster emerged from bankruptcy last fall, and Fortress filed a lawsuit soon after against TUNA, a division of Samut Sakhon, Thailand-based seafood conglomerate Thai Union,

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Tesco, Aldi, Costco, and Giant Eagle are among major grocery retailers committing to seafood sustainability and environmental responsibility initiatives.

Welwyn Garden City, U.K.-based Tesco is working with Sofina Foods Europe and other suppliers on implementing Seafish’s Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool (SCEPT) tool, which analyzes the carbon footprints of wild capture and aquaculture seafood products, into its supply chain.

Tesco

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Laurel Grocery Company, a London, Kentucky, U.S.A.-based grocery wholesaler, has shut down its operations.

“Challenging market conditions, due in part to the rise of big box discounters and growing competition by e-commerce, have presented serious challenges to our business model. After exploring a number of options to improve our position, we have made the difficult decision to close wholesale grocery operations and lay off a portion of

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A few major U.S. retailers are introducing or plan to introduce price-slashing measures as American consumers continue to state their concerns over tariffs.

Modesto, California, U.S.A.-based Save Mart Companies, which operates more than 200 stores across California and Nevada, said it would cut costs on more than 4,000 grocery items in its Save Mart and Lucky stores.

“As families across the nation are grappling with inflation and economic

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Tesco and Sainsbury’s are among U.K. retailers lowering their profit expectations and cutting costs and services due to higher business tax rates and expenses.

Tesco said it needs to cut GBP 500 million (USD 663 million, EUR 583 million) in costs due to the GBP 235 million (USD 312 million, EUR 274 million) it and other retailers are now facing in national insurance contributions (NICs) and other operating expenses. 

Additionally, the

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Though Americans’ economic concerns are driving many consumers to make more meals at home, U.S. restaurants are still banking on seafood for growth, and several seafood restaurant chains are expanding throughout the country as a result.

The prevalence of shellfish grew 3 percent on U.S. menus year over year in 2024, driven mainly by strong growth from shrimp, according to market research firm Circana. Servings of “other

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Strong sales are expected over the Easter holiday weekend at U.S. grocery stores, and if those predictions come to fruition, American retailers will have enjoyed a successful Lenten season.

Americans plan to spend a total of USD 23.6 billion (EUR 20.8 billion) on Easter shopping this year, which would be more than the USD 22.4 billion (EUR 19.7 billion) spent last year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights &

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U.S. grocery stores inclined in March 2025 in part thanks to concerns over tariffs and the timing of Lent. Frozen seafood sales increased 5.1 percent year over year to USD 738 million (EUR 650 million) in March, while sales by volume in the category grew 3 percent, according to new Circana data analyzed by Lakeland, Florida, U.S.A.-based 210 Analytics.  Ambient seafood sales increased 4.4 percent to USD 276 million (EUR 243 million), and sales… Read More