Retailers across the United States are promoting shrimp, swordfish, tuna and other grill-friendly seafood items, as well as snow crab, for tailgating events and Labor Day celebrations this holiday weekend.
This week’s Kroger circular features previously frozen tuna and swordfish steaks for USD 6.99 (EUR 4.90) a pound, Canadian snow crab clusters for USD 4.99 (EUR 3.50) a pound and Alaska cod fillets for USD 3.99 (EUR 2.78) a pound.
Instead of grill-friendly fish, Harris Teeter is focusing solely on crab for cookouts and other gatherings. In this week’s circular, the Matthews, N.C.-based retailer features snow crab clusters for USD 2.99 (EUR 2.10) a pound, with a limit of 10 pounds per person.
Meanwhile, Rouses Supermarket, a chain of 34 stores in Louisiana and Mississippi, is taking tailgating to a new level with cooking classes and demonstrations featuring seafood in its stores this fall.
The Thibodaux, La.-based retailer’s ad this week also features seafood for tailgating, such as USA-grade Gulf of Mexico tuna for USD 5.98 (EUR 4.19) a pound and Louisiana swordfish for USD 6.28 (EUR 4.40) a pound.
“We planned this ad about six weeks ago, and were able to secure about 15,000 pounds of USA tuna,” said Rick Heatherington, Rouses’ director of seafood merchandising and operations.
Heatherington also expects to sell about USD 100,000 (EUR 70,100) worth of Lake Ponchartrain lump blue crab meat — on special for USD 9.98 (EUR 7) a pound — over the Labor Day weekend.
“This is one of our bigger ads. It is the kick-off of college football season … and people down here like to tailgate, whether it is in the backyard or at the game,” said Heatherington. Boiled crawfish and shrimp and crawfish etouffée are staples of Louisiana tailgating.
Meanwhile, Rouses is holding several cooking classes and demonstrations this fall, under the tagline “Tailgating Bayou Boys Style.” The retailer’s Chef Nino will teach customers how to prepare tailgating food, including grilled swordfish and tuna, boiled crawfish, etouffée, crab stew and sausage.
