Retail demand for meat this Christmas is expected to outstrip the category’s performance last year – driven by growth in at-home eating, new research by AHDB has predicted.
Though cost of living challenges were easing, some 20% of shoppers said they would eat out of home less this December, while 90% said they would eat in on Christmas Day or at the home of a family member or friend, a poll of 1,932 adults by YouGov/AHDB Pulse in November revealed.
The levy board also cited Mintel data from September that showed 40% thought this Christmas would be more enjoyable than 2023. However, 77% of consumers remained concerned about the financial impact of Christmas, it cautioned, pointing to data from research firm Two Ears One Mouth last month.
As a result, the category would likely see a “polarised spending ability” over the festive period among consumers, which meant some would seek out premium retailers, while others would look to local butchers, farm shops and discounters, the levy board said.
A total of 38% of consumers claimed good value for money would be important to them this Christmas meat purchases, the poll found.
However, a similar number (37%) claimed high quality was key – “therefore we predict some trade-up in tiers”, AHDB said.
Consumers spent a record £13.7bn on meat, fish and poultry at Christmas 2023, up 11.6% compared with 2022, despite continued cost of living challenges, AHDB said in January.
Elsewhere, AHDB’s research found that 58% of consumers in the AHDB study said pigs in blankets were “an essential part of the big day” – just as important to consumers as stuffing, brussels sprouts and yorkshire puddings.
And over a quarter of consumers said they were planning to enjoy multiple meat options this Christmas Day. Some 23% of consumers stated that they were planning to buy two meat options for the Christmas meal, and 10% were planning to have three meat options, with turkey and gammon or turkey and beef being the most common combinations.
“In recent years, purse-strings were tightened and some shoppers had to choose between perceived ‘non-essential’ options like stuffing and pigs in blankets, instead of getting both,” said AHDB retail and consumer insight manager Emma Wantling.
“However, as we head into the 2024 festive season, the number of consumers who are concerned about the cost of living crisis has fallen and we predict Christmas plates will be piled high.”
Elsewhere, the growing need for convenience also meant online would be an important channel, with 34% of shoppers using online retailers more this Christmas than they have done in previous years, AHDB said, citing IGD data.
Some 43% of consumers were planning to do their Christmas shopping in one big hit, it added, with Sunday 22 and Monday 23 December likely to be the biggest shopping days for Christmas food.
One in four shoppers claimed they would use an air fryer to cook all or part of their Christmas meal, the research added.
Of those who planned to use an air fryer, 57% aim to cook the meat (of all joint types), 53% the roast potatoes and 46% the pigs in blankets in the air fryer.
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