U.S. retail seafood sales rose slightly by both value and volume in November as consumer purchases increased across all categories, according to new Circana data.
Continuing a turnaround that began in September, the sales value of seafood in November “hit the growth trifecta” with gains realized for fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable seafood, according to Anne-Marie Roerink, the principal of 210 Analytics, which analyzes Circana data.
There were also gains in sales by volume for frozen and shelf-stable seafood, she said, adding that during the month, overall grocery sales also increased and a bump in sales value during Thanksgiving week bodes well for seafood sales for the end-of-December holidays.
Fresh seafood sales by value increased 1.2 percent to USD 593 million (EUR 564 million) in November, while volume stayed relatively steady, declining 0.1 percent. Frozen seafood sales by value increased 0.2 percent to USD 552 million (EUR 525 million), while volume increased by 2.3 percent.
Following a trend realized throughout the year due to consumers’ economic concerns, shelf-stable seafood continued its upward trajectory. Its sales value rose 2.5 percent to USD 226 million (EUR 215 million), while volume increased by 6.4 percent.
These gains occurred while food inflation rose 2.4 percent in November, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, while Circana found that fresh food inflation increased 2.7 percent and prices across all foods and beverages rose 1.9 percent in November.
“While prices are looking better for the consumer, the average price per pound [of seafood] remained significantly higher than the average price per pound for the three biggest animal proteins,” Roerink said, referring to the average price per pound of fresh seafood at USD 9.71 (EUR 9.24) per pound, compared to USD 3.13 (EUR 2.98) per pound for chicken, USD 3.17 (EUR 3.02) per pound for pork, and USD 6.77 (EUR 6.44) per pound for beef.
While the prices of many fresh species have been ...
