While summer grilling season remains in full swing, retailers will soon turn to winter holiday planning when beef will again, take center-stage. Ground Beef, Chuck Center Roasts, Ribeye Steaks and other options will remain in shoppers’ carts through back-to-school and the fall, but beef takes December holidays to a whole other level. This article looks at the Ribeye Roast and beyond to better understand celebratory winter holiday beef sales.
For this article, the winter holiday time period is the last three weeks of recent years. This three-week span captures retail purchases after Thanksgiving turkey leftovers wane, yet includes purchases for most seasonal parties, as well as the Christmas, New Year’s, and Hanukkah (typically) holidays. During this time, beef sales surge. On average, dollar sales jump 12% on 7% higher volumes (and 5% stronger prices).1 Beef sales climb highest for Christmas (the 51st) week, when purchases are fully a third higher than average weekly beef sales (Chart 1).
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