As the weather starts to heat up, so does grilling season. Flipping juicy burgers, slow cooking delicious brisket, smoking succulent ribs, slicing into a perfectly cooked ribeye. Every summer, Americans love to get their grill on.

But are you prepared for the increased consumer demand for barbecue meats? Make sure your meat case is stocked with premium meats all summer, especially for those peak holiday grilling occasions. Keep reading to see why Chairman’s Reserve^® Meats is the perfect partner to help you boost seasonal meat sales.

increased demand for barbecue meats

Grilling sales are at a near historic high. Last year saw strong demand for barbecue meats, and there’s no reason to think this positive trend won’t continue. Retail sales of cuts like ribs, shoulders and briskets rose 26% from year-over-year levels, compared to the overall fresh meats category, which rose 11%.¹

summer holidays heat up demand for barbecue meats

Grilling is popular all summer long, but there are certain peak times when you need to be extra sure you’re well-stocked with barbecue meats to meet the increased demand. Fifty-six percent of shoppers plan to cook out on Memorial Day and 68% grill on the Fourth of July. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Labor Day are also popular grilling occasions as family and friends get together to celebrate.² Having low inventory and a lack of variety of seasonal meats can have a long-lasting negative impact on customers’ views of your store that are hard to turn around.

consumer grilling trends

The best way to move more premium meats is to know and understand current consumer grilling trends. Let’s start with which seasonal meats shoppers are looking for most during the peak grilling months.

“The most popular summer grilling cuts are middle meats, such as ribeye steaks, strip steaks and T-bones,” said Autumn Velez, manager of media relations at National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Inflation is still a topic on many consumers’ minds as they navigate the grocery store aisles this summer, looking for the best value for their dollar. But that doesn’t mean they’re buying cuts of less quality. When shoppers spend more, they’re spending on quality, especially in this economy.

That’s where we can help. Tyson Fresh Meats offers a robust portfolio of fresh meats brands, including its Chairman’s Reserve Meats brand with a two-tier advantage, dual-protein mix that delivers a superior barbecue experience for novices and experienced grill masters alike.

Our Angus beef offerings include Chairman’s Reserve Platinum^® Angus Beef, a USDA upper 1/3 Choice product and our Premium Angus Beef that is USDA Choice and 100% Angus.

We also offer Prime and Premium pork. “Pork is a basket builder and a huge opportunity for retailers during grilling season,” said Stephen Gerike, assistant VP of channel marketing for National Pork Board. “There’s a substantial benefit to the retailer because consumers don’t eat ribs or chops by themselves. They need all the fixings like side dishes, sauces and rubs – resulting in an average basket worth more than three times as much.”

premium meats marketing support that gets results

Partnering with the Chairman’s Reserve Meats brand delivers so much more than just quality beef and pork. You get the full marketing support you need to help move more barbecue meats.

We provide robust influencer marketing and social media content that appeals to your target audience, creating fresh opportunities for engagement. Shoppers rely on these channels to learn more about cuts, categories of meat and cooking methods. If you’re not offering the content they crave, they’ll find it (and shop) elsewhere.

But when you stock your meat case with what consumers are looking for, it increases sales, builds customer loyalty, enhances your brand reputation and gives you a competitive advantage.

solutions that make sense for you

The Chairman’s Reserve brand team prides itself on developing customized promotional plans with our partners catered to their unique needs. Let’s build the seasonal meats plan that works best for you.

• Pitmaster and event sponsorships
• Sauce, rub and pitmaster recipe development
• Culinary classes and innovation recommendations
• Sauce, rub and beverage cross promotions
• Insights and social media campaigns