Seafood sales volume continued to slow during the key Lenten season, according to new retail seafood and grocery purchasing data, with retailers now looking toward Easter.
Americans’ concerns over high gas prices and grocery inflation are reflected in lower retail volumes during Lent, Circana Senior Vice President and Perimeter Practice Leader Chris DuBois told SeafoodSource.
At the same time, predictions for Easter grocery spending are strong.
“Lent and Easter came early this year and it continued the Q4 2025 trends of slowing volume,” DuBois said.
A Circana survey of consumers covering their top concerns in January found food affordability was “far and away” the biggest concern versus immigration, gas prices, and other items.
Now, with gas prices over USD 6.00 (EUR 5.16) in California and over USD 4.00 in Florida (EUR 3.44), consumers feel the squeeze even more, DuBois said.
"Gas and food are items that are highly visible to consumers and they know what prices should be,” he said. “When either of these increases meaningfully, it’s a setback for both their pocketbooks but also sentiment.”
Nearly 12 percent of Americans said that recent gas price increases have “extremely” impacted their household budget, while 19.4 percent said they have “significantly” affected their budget, a Snipp survey via The Food Institute found. Of those surveyed, 21.6 percent said their weekly grocery spending has decreased somewhat, while 63.6 percent said they are dining out less due to higher gas prices.
“What stood out the most in this research is just how deeply rising gas prices are reshaping everyday consumer behavior,” Snipp CRO Chris Cubba told The Food Institute. “What’s most surprising is that spending pullbacks are not just confined to discretionary goods and are now extending into essential goods as well.”
As a result of overall economic concerns, seafood volume is down this Lenten season, while dollar sales are higher due to inflation. Overall, U.S. retail dollar sales for seafood rose 4.4 percent to USD 2.22 billion (EUR 1.9 billion) as price per unit increased 6.6 percent for the five weeks ending 22 March versus Lent 2025, per Circana.
However, volume sales dropped 2.8 percent, and unit sales declined 2.1 percent.
Shelf stable seafood sales continue to excel as consumers feel the price pressure, DuBois said. During Lent, overall shelf stable seafood dollar sales increased 12.2 percent to USD 395 million (EUR 340 million), while volume rose 2.4 percent and units increased 0.9 percent. The price per unit grew 11 percent.
Within the category, shelf stable tuna dollar sales rose 9.4 percent and volume was up 2 percent. Salmon significantly outperformed the category average with dollar sales rising 13.2 percent, unit sales increasing 9.6 percent, and volume increasing 5.1 percent.
In the refrigerated segment, finfish remained the strongest product in terms of sales, with solid dollar growth despite softer demand, DuBois said. Finfish dollar sales rose 3.7 percent during Lent, while units declined 1.2 percent and volume decreased 1.2 percent.
Fresh shellfish dollar sales rose 1.5 percent, while units dropped 6.1 percent and volume declined 1.1 percent. Shellfish faced “notable unit declines, partially offset by stronger distribution,” DuBois said.
The frozen seafood sub-category also struggled during Lent. Even though dollar sales inclined 2.9 percent to USD 948.4 million (EUR 816 million), units dropped 7 percent and volume declined 6.9 percent in part due to a 10.6 percent price per unit hike.
Despite the relatively weak sales performance during Lent, both grocery and restaurant sales are expected to be strong this Easter.
An annual National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics’ survey found 90 percent of Americans plan to purchase food for the Easter holiday, while total consumer spending on Easter is expected to reach a record USD 24.9 billion (EUR 21 billion) this year.
“While economic uncertainty remains on the minds of many, consumers are still focused on holiday celebrations like Easter,” NRF Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research Mark Mathews said. “Holidays provide an important opportunity for families to reconnect and create lasting memories, even as economic conditions fluctuate.”
Numerator’s 2026 Holiday Intentions Preview found 75 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Easter, with food being the top intended purchase, according to Numerator, followed by candy and decorations.
Of those celebrating Easter, 66 percent said they planned to stay at home, while 20 percent expect to drive and 5 percent intend to fly, Numerator found.
