British shoppers’ spending on pork was down 4 percent from March to May when compared to the same period during 2013, according to the latest Kantar Worldpanel data. The fall in sales was driven by declining expenditure on chops/steaks and leg roasting joints.
Despite lower prices for these cuts, this did not translate into greater purchasing as volume sales also suffered, most notably on leg roasting joints, where sales fell by just over 20 percent, according to the British Pig Executive (BPEX). Leg roasting joints, however, were also subjected to a decline in promotional activity toward some consumers, particularly those shopping with the hard discounters, switching to chops/steaks. Despite these switching gains, volume sales of chops/steaks also fell. The one sector that continues to perform well is mince, which according to BPEX enjoyed volume growth 20 percent when compared to the same period a year ago.
Spending on sausages was up 2 percent over the latest period, compared to a year ago. While growth came from all categories, standard sausages contributed some two thirds of the actual growth in value sales. The growth in the standard tier was driven by increased prices across most retailers, which did not impact on volume performance. Expenditure on bacon was flat year-on-year, with a 3 percent drop in volume sales being offset by an equal increase in prices. Shopper spending on ham was up 6 percent, driven in the main by increased volume sales in the discounters, where prices were down some 5 percent when compared to the same three-month period of 2013.