CATERING TO CONSUMER URGED TO PUSH MEAT

MINA WILLIAMS

SAN FRANCISCO -- The best way to increase meat consumption is to cater directly to consumer needs, according to Steve Harper, vice president of meat for H.E. Butt Grocery in San Antonio.

"We are always looking to sell consumers more meat," said Harper, speaking as part of a panel at the National Meat Association's annual convention here. "The meat case is filled with exciting options. We just have to give consumers a reason to stop at the case and select items from the 'menu' on the meat counter."

Cashing in on new trends will enhance a retailer's ability to enlarge the meat category. Those who include more prepared foods and partially prepared items in their mix will come out on top, according to Harper.

"We do need to expand the products offered to include the new products consumers are looking for," Harper said. "However, consumers want to define value and they vote with their dollars. We can't add so much value that the consumer can't afford to buy it. We have to keep our sights on the consumer's definition of value, not the industry's."

He cited a cold weather favorite, stew meat, as an example of how H-E-B adjusted its product mix to fit consumer needs, as with the chain's "cowboy stew," a seasoned, ready-to-cook meat product that requires half the cooking time of traditional stew meat. Developed by a professional chef, it reduces the consumer's labor and preparation time while delivering flavor, Harper said. The company also offers a Mexican-style stew product as a line extension of the stew meat category.

"We needed the expertise to achieve our goals," he added. If this expertise comes in the form of a partnership, so much the better: "Retailers have the knowledge of consumers and vendors have the knowledge of manufacturing."

In seeking products that meet consumers' low-fat requirements, retailers cannot lose focus on who is being served -- the customer, Harper said.

"Consumers are a diverse group that is not moving in any one particular direction," he said. "What products we have to offer are those that taste good and meet the consumer's needs plus are within their definition of value."

H-E-B constantly has consumers test products and is always on the lookout for heat-and-eat meat products, he said. When H-E-B's product development organization has an idea or a vendor-supplied item is offered, the operator surveys shoppers to determine the depth of the market. If the product passes that test it is developed further and tested in stores.

"The customer tells us if we are working on the right things," said Harper. "We are always listening to our consumers. They want preparation time reduced and ingredient assembly reduced, if not eliminated."

Consumer trends toward reducing fat and replacing it with intense flavors have created a marketing opportunity for meat case merchandisers, according to other members of the panel.

Restaurants are currently picking up on the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, according to Patricia Hart, a San Francisco-based food consultant. This pyramid proposes the increased consumption of fruits, grains and vegetables as center-of-the-plate items, shifting proteins to a side dish or condiment role.

"Just keeping meat on the plate is a challenge," said Hart. "Flavor, taste and quality are important.

"The portion size is adjusted following the notion of giving consumers flavorful meat in the small portion size that they want," she added.