Source: Supermarket Perimeter

KANSAS CITY, MO. – Whether it’s due to the kids being home from school, adults making lunches at home versus grabbing lunch around their office, or a continuation of limited foodservice operations, consumers are making a lot more sandwiches and deli meat consumption has gone up amid COVID-19.

Since early March, deli meat sales have been off the charts compared to previous years. While the deli and deli prepared category has been struggling overall since the onset of the pandemic, deli meats and cheeses have been the category’s saving grace. In the last week of July, 210 Analytics and IRI reported that sales of random weight, non-UPC deli meat increased by 11.2% compared to the same time frame in 2019.

Like most other grocery applications, consumers are more interested in pre-packaged, grab-and-go deli meats and the bulk of deli meat sales are going toward fresh-cut and pre-sliced random weight, non-UPC deli meat versus pre-packaged lunch meat in the refrigerated area.

Before the pandemic hit, consumers were already looking for ethically and transparently produced deli meats made with natural ingredients. Shoppers were looking for convenience surrounding the products they purchased, and they were interested in trying new flavors. Since COVID-19 entered the picture, most of those trends have quickly accelerated.