We may be in the depths of winter, but grilling season will soon arrive – even if the groundhog sees his shadow. With that in mind, let’s look at retail beef sales patterns from past summers when consumers fired up their smokers and grills, as summer planning will soon be in full swing.
While a lucky few may have access to their grill year-round, the peak “grilling season” typically begins with Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day. This 15-week stretch includes four big holidays (with Father’s Day and 4th of July) and many kids are out of school, so it’s prime time for outdoor cooking and celebrations.
Consumers say beef is frequently their top grilling season protein.1 Retail sales data certainly supports this as high-value middle meat steak sales jump over 5% from average during this timeframe.2 Ground Beef remains a steady player throughout the year but shines in burger form during these summer months.3 An added bonus for retailers is how beef in the cart helps drive sales across the entire store, so capturing these summer beef sales helps propel meat case and total store performance.4
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