U.S. supermarket seafood sales and volume rose this summer, according to new data from fresh food consulting firm Perishables Group.
Sales of all fresh seafood items rose 7.8 percent while volume jumped 8.9 percent for the 13 weeks ending 28 August, compared to the same three months last year.
The average retail price of all seafood items fell 1 percent to USD 6.06 per pound, which may have helped spur the sales increase, according to Steve
… Read MoreCincinnati-based Kroger plans to add a few seafood products to its new Simple Truth private-label lines. The 2,425-store chain launched the Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic lines in late September. The lines are free from more than 100 artificial preservatives and ingredients that some shoppers have said they do not want in their foods, according to consumer research done by Kroger.
The Simple Truth brand includes meat, chicken and eggs,
… Read MoreOnline grocery sales continue to grow, benefitting fresh and frozen seafood products, according to a new report.
Research firm IBISWorld projects that online grocers’ revenue will increase by 8.3 percent in 2012 to reach USD 6 billion. Fresh seafood sales will generate an estimated USD 154.5 million in revenue for the online grocery industry in 2012, while frozen seafood sales will account for around USD 90 million in this year, according to
… Read MoreBon Appetit’s Eat Local (Fish) Challenge, a one-day event held at all 500 of its U.S. locations last week, was designed to educate guests about eating seafood.
“Americans don’t eat a lot of fish: It is less than 10 percent of our total protein intake annually. What I really tried to share with our chefs is what a special opportunity they have in getting their guests interested in eating more fish,” said Helene York, director of purchasing
… Read MoreThe typical consumer heading out to the store for their weekly grocery-shopping trip may not think of the local dollar store for seafood, but that is changing rapidly. Over the past three years or so, most dollar-store chains have added refrigerated and frozen sections to their stores, featuring a variety of packaged seafood items.
Take the 10,000-store Dollar General chain based in Goodlettsville, Tenn. A recent visit to one of its larger stores
… Read MoreTo celebrate National Seafood Month in October, Joe’s Crab Shack surveyed its guests about their seafood preferences. In addition, SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Co. is running a month-long “Shrimptacular” campaign.
More than 75 percent of Joe's Crab Shack guests eat seafood at least once a month, according to the chain's survey of more than 600,000 Facebook fans and email subscribers. An additional 41.9 percent eat seafood out at least once
… Read MoreNashville, Tenn.-based Captain D’s, which owns and franchises 527 restaurants in the U.S., recently reported a record third quarter sales increase of 10.8 percent (a 12.5 percent increase in company-owned restaruatns and a 9 percent increase in its franchised restaurants). This is the third quarter in a row of sales increases, after declining sales in previous years.
In addition to upgrading its core menu items, Captain D’s has launched a
… Read MoreMike Kern, CEO of Long John Silver’s, is calling for a national U.S. seafood marketing organization that would promote the benefits of eating seafood. In an exclusive interview with SeafoodSource, Kern talked about the need for a national marketing organization.
“We have this wonderful protein across many species that I don’t think gets enough recognition as such. We have to sing its praises and find ways to establish its relevancy in the
… Read MoreLong John Silver’s (LJS) executives aim to set the massive chain apart from other quick-service seafood restaurants with a new marketing slogan and by improving the quality of its core products, CEO Mike Kern said in an exclusive interview with SeafoodSource.
“There is an array of exciting ways to prepare seafood, whether it is as an entrée, salad, wrap, melt, or sandwich. We aim to be the leader in filling that space,” Kern said. Several
… Read MoreThe U.S. farmed catfish industry is urging Texas to require imported catfish to undergo the same safety testing required of domestic catfish.
“We recommend that Texas start testing as a matter of consumer protection, and consider country of origin labeling (COOL) for catfish served in restaurants,” said Jeff McCord, advisor to The Catfish Institute in Jackson, Miss.
McCord and scientists were invited to testify before the Texas Senate
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