While the amount of seafood sold in U.K. retail has decreased over the past year, shoppers have been buying more whitefish, with cod’s popularity growing even further.
For the 12 months ending 25 March 2017, the total volume of seafood sold in the retail channel amounted to just over 327,000 metric tons (MT), a decrease of 0.8 percent year-on-year, while the number of unit sales fell by 0.5 percent to 1.2 billion according to the latest Nielsen ScanTrack data published by Seafish.
In terms of value, these sales amounted to more than GBP 3.1 billion (USD 4 billion, EUR 3.6 billion), which was up 0.7 percent compared with the previous 12 months.
While the overall shifts in U.K. retail have been marginal over the past year, total cod sales increased 4.9 percent in volume to 47,960 MT during the 12-month period, achieving a value of almost GBP 384 million (USD 494.7 million, EUR 451.1 million) – an increase of 4.3 percent.
The number of cod unit sales, meanwhile, increased by 3.4 percent to 137.1 million, and the average price paid per unit increased by 0.9 percent year-on-year to GBP 2.80 (USD 3.61, EUR 3.29).
In terms of product formats, frozen cod led the way with a sales value of GBP 204.7 million (USD 263.7 million, EUR 240.5 million), climbing 6.1 percent year-on-year. The standout performer in this category was frozen cod fingers, with sales soaring 18.7 percent in the 12-month period to total 61.4 million (USD 79.1 million, EUR 72.1 million).
Chilled cod followed with a value of GBP 178.9 million (USD 230.5 million, EUR 210.1 million), up 2.4 percent. There was also an 8.9 percent jump in the much smaller ambient cod format, with sales totaling GBP 364,000 (USD 468,945, EUR 427,575).
