Lamb Offers Alternative for Meat Shoppers

Sales in the supermarket meat case surged during the pandemic as consumers stocked their freezers and prepared more meals at home, but the positive trends retailers have experienced don’t have to end yet.

By encouraging consumers to try new recipes and ingredients, including alternative meats such as lamb, retailers can maintain consumer interest in the department and drive ongoing success. Consumers who have been cooking at home since March are ready to discover new meals. Lamb offers a flavorful, easy-to-prepare protein that can form the centerpiece of a variety of dishes, especially as the year-end holidays approach.

Lamb has already been among the top performing meats in the food retail channel this year, with sales gains in double digits during much of the year. Dollar sales of lamb rose 29.1% in the week ending Sept. 6, compared to the year-ago period, for example, according to an article on MeatPoultry.com.

Among alternative meats, lamb is also the most popular choice with consumers when dining out at restaurants, according to Technomic’s 2019 Center of the Plate: Beef and Pork Consumer Trend Report. Forty-two percent of consumers said they would consider ordering lamb in a restaurant, outpacing those who would order duck (36%) and bison/buffalo (34%).

With many restaurants still closed or offering limited menus, however, and many consumers still cautious about dining out, grocery retailers have an opportunity to drive more lamb sales by offering restaurant-quality recipes their customers can make at home.

For example, a recipe for Beer and Mustard Marinated Rack of Lamb offers a flavorful entree the whole family can enjoy as an everyday meal or for special occasions. It takes about an hour to prepare, and uses ingredients most consumers probably have on hand — but retailers should not overlook the opportunity to cross-merchandise these items along with the recipe in the meat department.

Thomas Foods offers retailers the added benefit of adhering to strict ethical policies around the production of its high-quality proteins. Its grassroots Australian ranchers are focused on supplying grass-fed, pasture-raised, all-natural and halal-certified meats, offering retailers additional selling points when promoting Thomas Farms lamb to customers.

Visit Thomas Foods USA today to discover more recipes and learn more about how Thomas Farms can help stores grow meat department sales.