ARLINGTON, VA – FMI—The Food Industry Association, has released the 2021 Power of Seafood, which finds the seafood department was a leading driver in the percentage of increased grocery sales in 2020 with a 28.4% increase in sales, which exceeded the sales growth of the produce, meat or deli departments. In total, seafood (fresh, frozen, canned, pouches, etc.) generated more than $16.6 billion in sales for food retailers in 2020. Insights from the report find the biggest reason for increased seafood consumption is consumers are trying to eat healthier (59%).
“The analysis suggests an urgency for food retailers to expand their seafood programs to help sustain consumer awareness of this protein that has emerged in popularity as a result of the pandemic,” Rick Stein, vice president of fresh foods for FMI, said. “The call to action among grocers is to focus on seafood nutrition, cooking guidance, meal ideas and sustainability both in-store and online as ways to maintain shopper interest in seafood.”
Meet Shoppers’ Nutritional Desires
The Power of Seafood 2021 finds 72% of frequent seafood consumers are putting more effort into making healthy and nutritious choices since the pandemic. At the same time, 74% of seafood consumers, and 43% of non-seafood consumers, want to become more knowledgeable about the nutritional benefits of seafood. Seafood is a major source of healthful omega-3 fats and is also rich in nutrients such as vitamin D and selenium, high in protein, and low in saturated fat.
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