Seafood sales at retail rose slightly in 2025, and a panel of experts at the 2026 Global Seafood Market Conference, which took place 18 to 22 January in Hollywood, Florida, U.S.A., has urged the category to move beyond the seafood section to realize even more growth.
210 Analytics Principal Anne-Marie Roerink, during a panel on retail seafood sales at the conference, said the current shifts in shopping behavior presents big opportunities for seafood products that get creative and find better placement.
“There is a big opportunity in the current marketplace. People are shopping more than they ever have, and we continue to see the trips going up,” Roerink said. “The problem is, are people going into that seafood department? Do they see the specials that are happening?”
She said coming out of the seafood department and being more visible at the front of the store or in other frequently trafficked sections of retailers can bring a big boost to sales.
“Coming out of the department, being visible in the front of the store right by checkout, those are opportunities to capitalize on the additional trips that are happening,” Roerink said.
That has been demonstrated by some of the biggest surprise winners for seafood in 2025, which benefited from organic social media trends and many times were items that weren’t featured in the seafood section.
One of those big winners was a “volcano dip” put out by Publix, which went viral on social media and quickly sold out at the store’s locations, Roerink said. The product is a mix of sweet Thai chili, gochujang sauce, imitation crabmeat, shredded carrots, and green onions and rapidly gained a following after it was introduced.
Publix Super Markets Seafood Director Guy Pizzuti said stocks of the dip have only recently stabilized after its incredible popularity had it facing a few weeks of sporadic availability.
“The volcano dip that Anne-Marie talked about is a deli item, and it is back in stock now,” Pizzuti said. “That was sold and developed and manufactured in our own deli kitchen; it was not a seafood item.”
Other seafood items that are typically found outside the seafood section have been building an audience for years.
Sushi has become a fast-growing sales driver for seafood and appeals to a range of age groups who were previously tough to reach.
“I didn’t try sushi until college; now, it’s elementary kids asking mom to pack it in their school lunch,” H-E-B Vice President of Seafood, Sushi, and Meal Simple Jason Driskill said. “Sushi is a good gateway to getting that younger consumer.”
Pizzuti said it’s possible to capitalize on other sections of the store, so seafood companies should begin appealing and seeking out buyers for grocery or deli products to discuss what sort of items could fit into a retailer’s needs.
“For folks in the audience, if you’re just talking to Jason and I, you need to expand your audience,” Pizzuti said.
