White meat chicken is the clear-cut favorite chicken product among U.S. consumers, as a survey of chicken-consumer behavior showed shoppers are buying substantially more white meat in 2013. At the same time, consumers are purchasing less rotisserie chicken, dark meat and wings.
More than 1,000 households in all geographic areas of the United States were surveyed in early June. The National Chicken Council survey was funded by WATT PoultryUSA, with the results of the survey presented at the National Chicken Council's Chicken Marketing seminar.
While a net difference of 19 percent of the people surveyed reported they purchased more white meat chicken in 2013 than they did during the previous year, the purchase of rotisserie chicken, bone-in wings, boneless wings and dark meat chicken experienced net declines.
Other findings in the survey include:
- Increased dark meat chicken purchases are reported most often among two-person households, older U.S. residents and households with an income of more than $75,000.
- Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 are increasing their purchase of chicken products more than any other age groups.
- Lower-income households are reporting more of a decline in chicken purchasing than respondents with higher incomes.
There is still plenty of room for optimism. With 44 percent of those surveyed purchasing more of at least one chicken category, and 1 percent purchasing more of all types of chicken in 2013, chicken still is a popular source of protein for U.S. residents.
White meat overwhelmingly most popular
White meat chicken - which includes boneless/skinless breast meat, bone-in skin-on breasts, breast halves and wings - is decisively the most popular chicken product so far in 2013. Twenty-eight percent of U.S. households surveyed reported purchasing more in 2013 than they did during the previous year. Nine percent of those surveyed also indicated they purchased less white meat in 2013 than they did in 2012, for a net improvement of 19 percent.
An even larger percent of chicken consumers has increased its frequency in white meat chicken purchases than that figure may indicate, however, as 7 percent of those surveyed did not purchase any white meat chicken in 2013.
Geography played a role in shopping behavior, as a higher percentage of respondents from the Midwestern, Mountain and Pacific regions increased white-meat purchases than residents of Eastern states.
Racial and ethnic demographics were also a factor. Thirty-two percent of the Hispanic population surveyed said they are purchasing more white meat in 2013 than they did during the previous year, but another 17 percent reported purchasing less. White respondents had the highest net increase of white meat purchases at 22 percent. Twenty-eight percent reported an increase, but 6 percent said they were purchasing less. Black households represented the smallest net increase of white meat purchases, at 6 percent.
Drop in purchase trends with other chicken categories
The frequency at which consumers purchased all other chicken products declined in 2013, according to the survey. Those products included rotisserie chicken from supermarkets, rotisserie chicken from restaurants and carry-out establishments, bone-in/skin on wings, boneless wings and dark meat chicken.
Rotisserie chicken, especially from restaurants and carry-out businesses, saw the biggest drop in purchase frequency. Seventeen percent said they were buying less chicken from restaurants, while only 8 percent said they were buying more. Rotisserie chicken from supermarkets proved to be more popular, with 13 percent of respondents purchasing more in 2013, but 18 percent buying less.
Dark meat purchases accounted for a 5 percent decline, with 11 percent saying they are buying more dark meat and 16 percent purchasing less.
Bone-in, skin-on wings had a 4 percent net decline, with 11 percent saying they were buying more and 15 percent buying less. Eleven percent of those surveyed also said they were buying more boneless wings, with 14 percent saying they bought less.
Dark meat finds favor among older, wealthier consumers
While the survey pointed to consumer trends of buying less dark meat chicken, many demographic groups were more loyal in 2013.
Thirteen percent of all respondents in both the 55-64 and 65-and-older categories said they were increasing dark meat chicken purchases, while 10 percent or less of the respondents in nearly all other age categories in the survey reported they were buying more. A large portion of respondents in those age groups also reported being two-person households. People in two-person households, in contrast to most other groups, actually reported on average to be purchasing more dark meat in 2013 for a net gain of 2 percent.
Income level, which was also largely tied to age demographics in the survey, also factored in when it came to increased dark meat purchases. Fifteen percent of the households with an annual income of more than $75,000 said they were purchasing more dark meat chicken.
The survey took a deeper look at why some consumers were buying more dark meat. Nearly half of the respondents purchasing more dark meat chicken said they preferred it for its juiciness when compared to white meat chicken. Other common answers included affordability, taste and convenience. Of lesser importance to consumers but still relevant were increased frequency in barbecuing, new recipes that include dark meat chicken, greater availability and variety, and the knowledge that dark meat has less fat than before.
Purchasing trends among young adults show promise for chicken industry
If younger consumers maintain their interest in chicken, the future for the broiler chicken industry is very promising. No age demographic showed a greater increase for poultry purchases than those between the ages of 25 and 34. Consumers between the ages of 18 and 24 also gave responses that bode well for broiler production.
Respondents ages 25-34 accounted for the largest increases in the purchase of white meat, rotisserie chicken from restaurants and rotisserie chicken from grocery stores. That group also had the second-highest response level for bone-in/skin-on wings and boneless wings, trailing only consumers ages 18-25.
Opportunities with lower-income households
The survey pointed to opportunities to market toward people in lower-income households. While pricing appears to be a factor when it comes to purchasing trends, chicken remains more affordable than many competing proteins.
Respondents from households with incomes lower than $35,000 reported the largest decline in purchase of boneless wings and white meat chicken when compared to other income categories. Meanwhile, respondents from households with a combined income of $35,000 to $50,000 answered more often that they purchased less rotisserie chicken from supermarkets and from dine-in or carry-out establishments. They also bought less dark meat chicken and bone-in and skin-on wings.
