The four-week month of July generated nearly $8.8 billion in meat department sales, according to the latest Performance Report from Circana, 210 Analytics, and Hillphoenix. This reflects inflationary gains as well as demand-driven growth. Pound sales increased 1.6 percent in July 2025. The increase was fully driven by fresh meat sales that increased 2.5 percent in July while processed meat sales were down 0.5 percent.
Meat department sales have been positive since the first quarter of 2024. Second-quarter sales gains reached their highest levels since 2020, at +7.3 percent. Volume gains also reached the highest level since 2020, though it’s important to remember the switch in Easter timing that moved holiday-related sales from the first to the second quarter. July pound growth was in line with the first-quarter gain of 1.5 percent.
All July weeks delivered growth. The holiday week, ending July 6th, was substantially bigger than the other three July weeks. Generating $2.6 billion in sales, the week including the Independence Day holiday delivered growth in dollars and pounds. The second week of July had the strongest pound sales, up 2.2 percent.
Fresh Meat Sales by Protein
Beef generated more than half of all fresh meat sales in July, with dollars up by double digits. This includes robust price increases but also 3.6 percent growth in volume sales. Chicken and lamb also had a strong July.
| July 2025 | Latest 52 weeks | ||||||||
| Type | $ sales | $ vs. YA | Lbs vs. YA | Type | $ sales | $ vs. YA | Lbs vs. YA | ||
| Total fresh meat | $6.2B | +9.7% | +2.5% | Total fresh meat | $77.1B | +8.9% | +3.9% | ||
| Fresh beef | $3.5B | +13.2% | +3.6% | Fresh beef | $43.2B | +12.5% | +6.1% | ||
| Fresh chicken | $1.6B | +7.1% | +2.6% | Fresh chicken | $20.3B | +6.2% | +3.1% | ||
| Fresh pork | $719M | +2.5% | +1.0% | Fresh pork | $8.6B | +3.4% | +2.1% | ||
| Fresh turkey | $186M | +6.0% | -2.8% | Fresh turkey | $3.3B | +0.1% | +1.6% | ||
| Fresh lamb | $70M | +11.3% | +2.4% | Fresh lamb | $964M | +11.1% | +10.2% | ||
| Fresh exotic | $15M | -5.9% | -5.8% | Fresh exotic | $218M | -3.4% | -1.1% | ||
| Veal | $2.8M | -4.2% | -3.8% | Veal | $44M | -1.9% | -5.3% | ||
Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, MULO+
