Red meat retail performance – 26 January 2025

Beef retail performance

Spend on beef products increased by 5.8% year-on-year, due to a combination of a 0.7% increase in volumes purchased as well as a 5.1% increase in average prices paid (Kantar, 12 w/e 26 January 2025).

Total primary beef volumes saw a 0.9% increase this period.  Mince saw a 2.0% increase in volumes purchased (+683 tonnes), due to an increase in frequency of purchase and an increase in shopper numbers. Diced beef saw volume growth this period (+7.9%) due to an increase in buyers, as well as an increase in volumes purchased per buyer. Steak also saw volume growth, up 3.7% year-on-year, driven by an increased frequency of purchase.

Processed beef saw a 2.9% increase in volumes purchased year-on-year. Burgers and grills saw a 3.3% increase in volumes purchased due to an increase in frequency of purchase combined with an increase in shopper numbers. Beef sausages also saw volume growth (+32.5%), with an additional 174 tonnes purchased predominately due to an increase in buyers.

Total added-value products all saw a 7.2% increase in volumes purchased this period, driven by sous vide (+6.4%) and marinades (+11.8%) performance. Sous vide benefitted from an increase in buyers and the volumes they purchased per shopping trip this period, while marinades saw an increase in promotions drive an increase of buyers to the category.

See the full data and these insights visualised on our GB household beef purchases retail dashboard.

Lamb retail performance

Lamb saw a 4.1% decrease in volumes purchased in the 12 w/e 26 January 2025. Spend saw a 0.3% increase during the period, due to a 4.7% increase in average prices paid (Kantar, 12 w/e 26 January 2025).

Primary lamb saw a 8.2% decrease in volumes purchased this period. A reduction in promotional support during this 12-week period will have likely influenced the decline in shopper numbers which drove the decline in primary lamb.

However, diced saw volume growth in this period (15.7%), due to an increase in volumes purchased per buyer and an increase in shopper numbers. There was an increase in Y for £X deals which will have encouraged this increase in shoppers. Steak also saw slight volume growth (0.2%) due to an increase in frequency of purchase. However, these increases were not enough to offset declines by other cuts.

Processed lamb saw a 6.0% decline in volumes purchased in the 12 w/e 26 January 2025, with burgers and grills driving the decline (-8.1%).

For added-value products, there was a 3.1% increase in volumes purchased. This was driven by sous vide performance which saw volumes increase 8.8%, benefitting from an increase in buyers due to an increase in promotional support by temporary price reductions.

See the full data and these insights visualised on our GB household lamb purchases retail dashboard.  

Pig meat retail performance

Pig meat saw a 1.2% decrease in volumes purchased, equivalent to 2,824 tonnes less than the same period last year (Kantar, 12 w/e 26 January 2025). However, spend on pig meat increased by 0.4% year-on-year due to a 1.6% increase in average prices paid.

Volumes of processed pig meat drove this overall decline in pig meat performance, with a 2.4% decrease in volumes purchased in this period. Sausages were the only processed cut to see volume growth (+1.8%) due primarily to an increased frequency of purchase.

Primary cuts saw volumes purchased decrease 1.9% this period. Despite this, belly, mince, and roasting all saw year-on-year volume increases. Belly saw a 1.5% increase in volumes purchased due to an increase in buyers this period. Mince saw a 5.3% volume increase due to an increase in volumes purchased per shopper, and an increase in shopper numbers. An increase in promotional purchases during this period will have also helped to boost volume sales, as average price decreases.

Total roasting saw a 1.1% increase in volumes purchased, due to leg roasting performance (+15.3%). Leg roasting saw an increase in shopper numbers drive performance, helped by an increase in promotional activity decrease the average prices paid this period.

Added value also saw overall volume purchased increase (+8.6%). This was due to sous vide (+4.8%) seeing increased shopper numbers, while increased promotional activity for marinades attracted in new shoppers resulting in a 31.3% increase in volumes purchased.

See the full data and these insights visualised on our GB household pork purchases retail dashboard. 

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