DENVER — More than half of shoppers say they have changed the way they shop for meat during the past year, using strategies such as stocking up on meat during promotions and sales, using more coupons and searching through supermarket circulars for bargains, according to “The Power of Meat,” an annual consumer survey from the Food Marketing Institute, sponsored by Cryovac, a division of Sealed Air Corp.

Results from this year’s study were unveiled here yesterday at the American Meat Institute’s annual meat conference.

Of those customers who are changing their habits, more than 70% said that they now regularly read grocery store ads and circulars to find deals on meat and poultry, with 33% saying they do so frequently, and 38% saying they do so very frequently.

Similarly, 32% said they are frequently stocking up on meat when it is on sale — and then presumably freezing a portion of their purchases at home — while 37% say they are stocking up very frequently. And 23% are frequently buying less-expensive cuts, while 44% said they are doing so very frequently.

Shoppers who were changing their purchasing habits to save money tended to be middle-income consumers, aged 40-49, from larger households with children.

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