Meat, young breeds and feedlots record beef sales
Posted on Monday 16 March 2026 at 10:00 am
Cattle industry experts say quality, consistency has increased demand
A focus on beef, young breeds and nutrition helped increase beef sales by value and volume in 2025, according to the latest edition of the “Beef Power” report.
Meat sales in grocery stores and retailers will reach a record $112 billion, up 6.8% from 2024.
Retailers bought 23.3 billion pounds of meat in 2025, up 2%.
More people bought meat in 2025 – more than 98% of households – and they made more store trips with a higher cost per visit.
Meat remained a diet and budget priority for customers and the section performed better than any other department in the store.
Total store sales increased 3.3% and units rose 0.6%.
Done on behalf of Meat Power, the Food Industry Association and the Meat Foundation, it considers seafood a separate category.
“The meat sector is performing well because it offers what shoppers want right now: protein, flexibility, value and flavor,” said Rick Stein, vice president of fresh foods for the Food Industry Association.
Consumers want meat
Fresh meat, especially beef, led the way, with pounds up 3%, while processed meat volume fell less than 1%.
Fresh meat sales reached $45.1 billion, up 12.4% and representing nearly 57% of all fresh meat sales by value. Volume reached 6.2 billion pounds, up 4.3%.
Beef accounted for 70% of the dollar growth and 56% of the pound growth for beef, indicating strong consumer demand with inflation and financial pressure for many buyers.
Cattle industry experts were not surprised by the report, thanks to strong consumer demand that has increased significantly over the past decade.
“The beef and cattle industry has worked really hard to provide a consistent, quality product,” said Cameron Mulroney, executive director of the Idaho Cattlemen’s Association.
Consumers are now choosing high-quality, high-protein foods, and younger generations are realizing that meat can pack high nutritional value into a small package, experts said.
Chelsea Hajny, executive director of the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, said she did not expect beef’s fortunes to change in 2026 due to continued demand and record low cattle numbers.
“There won’t be an increase in supply any time soon,” Hajni added.
Chicken also sells well
Fresh chicken actually moved more volume than beef at 6.5 billion pounds, 3.2%, but it was valued at $20.7 billion, 6.5% more.
Pigs and poultry also saw volume gains, while sheep, poultry and lamb declined.
While processed meats generally underperformed, processed chicken, such as nuggets and strips, dinner sausages and breakfast sausages increased in volume.
Impact on the younger generation
Millennials and Gen Z accounted for 67% of unit growth in 2025.
Young consumers were more likely to increase meat consumption and try to prepare more meals with meat.
The increase in consumption has resulted from a focus on home-cooked meals and protein. Health, avoiding “ultra-processed” foods, GLP-1 drugs and diet as medicine were secondary factors.
Role of nutrition, budget constraints
About 77% of survey respondents said meat is part of a healthy diet, up 13 percentage points from 2020.
A generational divide has narrowed and Gen Z and Millennials now see the nutritional value of meat as much as previous generations.
More than ⅔ of consumers said meat is non-negotiable or important to budget businesses.
Consumers facing financial constraints still prioritize meat but try to find sales, avoid value-added products or save money in other ways.
In general, Americans balance value shopping with selective splurges for holidays, entertainment and special occasions.
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