How have consumer shopping habits changed during COVID-19? What new animal welfare guidelines are coming? Check out today’s headlines for updates.
August 5, 2020
The beef industry chain may start with the cow-calf producer, but the processing and retail game is where the rubber meets the road, or perhaps better phrased, where the pasture meets the plate.
So what’s new in packing, processing, retail, online shopping, restaurants, plant-based vs. meat consumption trends and consumer shopping habits?
These recent headlines give us some insight on the changing demographics of consumers. Some of these headlines may almost contradict themselves (see items four and five). However, one thing I think is certain — if we are to be successful in the highly competitive food space, we’ve got to appeal to our customers and meet them right where they are at.
That means pushing for cooking at home meals. We’ve got to make backyard barbecues trendy. How do people choose the right cut of meat? How do they prepare that beef cut? What are some easy, kid-friendly recipes? How do I cook once and dine twice? Why should consumers feel good about choosing meat compared to plant-based counterparts?
Consider these questions as you read these headlines. In future blog posts, we’ll discuss strategies for building relationships and best reaching our consumers right where they are during this uncertain and unpredictable year.
1. “JBS acquires previously owned facility in Greeley”
Krissa Welshans for Feedstuffs writes, “JBS USA has acquired a facility that was previously owned and operated by Mountain States Rosen out of bankruptcy through an auction process, a company spokesperson confirmed to Feedstuffs. Mountain States Rosen, a lamb meat processor in Greeley, Colo., that controls a fifth of the U.S. lamb market, filed for bankruptcy in April and liquidated its assets, including the facility in Greeley, which the company had purchased from JBS in 2016.”
As reported by GlobeNewswire, “Ahold Delhaize USA, the parent company of leading grocery brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, has announced new sustainability policies for genetically modified food (GMOs) and farm animal welfare.