This month’s cover story details some of the major changes occurring in the retail meat department as revealed in the 2010 National Meat Case Study.

While much of the data focuses on the proteins being marketed, packaging being leveraged and the brands that are attached to products, the study also detected changes-as well as consistencies-in the entire meat area.

Many retailers, for instance, spotlight their use of in-store butchers as a way to enhance customer service and differentiate their meat areas from those competitors that primarily market case-ready proteins. Yet, the share of linear feet devoted to full service-7 percent in 2010-is the same as in 2002 and 2007.

The study also found that 77 percent of supermarkets surveyed have full-service cases, down from 79 percent in 2007 but up from 70 percent in 2004 and 67 percent in 2002.


Read More