The four-week month of September generated nearly $8.5 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 0.5% in September 2025. This increase was fully driven by fresh meat sales that increased 1.7% in September while processed meat sales were down 2.5%.
Meat department sales have been positive since the first quarter of 2023, with increases ranging from 0.3% to 7.3%. In all cases, dollar gains were a combination of inflation and demand growth. While the second quarter of 2025 benefitted from the late Easter timing, September pound sales continued to grow contrary to trends in many other departments across the store.
Fresh Meat Sales by Protein
Beef’s reign continued, generating $3.4 billion in the four September weeks. This was up by double digits in dollars while pound sales grew 1.9%. Only chicken had higher pound gains in September, at +3.5%. In the full-year view, beef volume sales grew 5.3%, distantly followed by chicken, at 3.1%.
| September 2025 | Latest 52 weeks | ||||||||
| Type | $ sales | $ vs. YA | Lbs vs. YA | Type | $ sales | $ vs. YA | Lbs vs. YA | ||
| Total fresh meat | $6.1B | +8.0% | +1.7% | Total fresh meat | $78.2B | +8.9% | +3.6% | ||
| Fresh beef | $3.4B | +10.4% | +1.9% | Fresh beef | $44.0B | +12.4% | +5.3% | ||
| Fresh chicken | $1.7B | +6.6% | +3.5% | Fresh chicken | $20.5B | +6.5% | +3.1% | ||
| Fresh pork | $686M | +3.3% | -0.8% | Fresh pork | $8.7B | +3.3% | +2.1% | ||
| Fresh turkey | $204M | +2.9% | -6.1% | Fresh turkey | $3.3B | -0.2% | +0.4% | ||
| Fresh lamb | $68M | +6.5% | -6.4% | Fresh lamb | $975M | +10.3% | +5.8% | ||
| Fresh exotic | $15M | -1.0% | -4.9% | Fresh exotic | $217M | -4.3% | -2.9% | ||
| Veal | $3.1M | -9.1% | -15.5% | Veal | $43M | -2.6% | -6.3% | ||
Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, MULO+
Processed Meat
September processed meat sales patterns differed from those seen in the full-year view. For the first time in many months, dinner and breakfast sausage volume sales were down. Sausage did enjoy growth in the frozen department. Packaged lunchmeat sales were down nearly 5.0% year-over-year, while deli meat sales are now lapping the large recall and starting to stabilize.
| September 2025 | Latest 52 weeks | ||||||||
| Type | $ sales | $ vs. YA | Lbs vs. YA | Type | $ sales | $ vs. YA | Lbs vs. YA | ||
| Processed meat | $2.4B | +1.2% | -2.5% | Processed meat | $32.1B | +1.3% | -0.5% | ||
| Packaged lunchmeat | $544M | -2.5% | -4.9% | Bacon | $7.1B | +3.2% | +0.9% | ||
| Bacon | $538M | +3.0% | -3.8% | Packaged lunchmeat | $7.0B | -0.8% | -2.8% | ||
| Dinner sausage | $448M | +2.4% | -0.8% | Dinner sausage | $5.8B | +3.4% | +2.5% | ||
| Frankfurters | $242M | +1.9% | -4.2% | Frankfurters | $3.2B | +2.5% | -1.7% | ||
| Breakfast sausage | $183M | +3.2% | -1.1% | Breakfast sausage | $2.5B | +4.6% | +2.3% | ||
| Smoked ham | $72M | -4.4% | -5.0% | Smoked ham | $1.9B | -0.2% | -1.7% | ||
| Processed chicken | $64M | +0.8% | -1.1% | Processed chicken | $806M | +6.8% | +5.9% | ||
Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total US, MULO+
What’s Next?
- While unit sales remain on a flat-to-down trajectory, the marketplace continues to show growth for premium and ultra-premium brands along with private-label products. Mainstream items are facing the greatest sales pressure, reflecting consumers’ ongoing willingness to invest in convenience and quality as they reassess spending priorities.
- These patterns are echoed in foodservice, where quick-service restaurants saw a 3% traffic decline in September according to Placer.ai, while full-service restaurants, including fine dining, experienced an increase in traffic.
- Well-being focused consumers have $1.3 trillion in buying power — up 3.7% from last year according to Circana. Seeking to live longer and healthier, Americans are turning to physical and mental wellness, with 70% making self-care a priority. Improved physical health remains the top goal in the U.S., followed by reduced stress and anxiety. Focus, stress relief and productivity are areas of particular interest to Gen Z.
- Healthy eating continues to gain attention, as do nutritional supplements. Consumers are increasingly seeking protein beverages and powders to maximize nutrition through food and drinks, with functional and fortified foods now firmly mainstream. According to Circana, active GLP-1 usage has grown to 5.3% of U.S. adults, while per capita calories have shifted away from alcohol and snacks toward protein.
