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Comfort food: Hot dog, sausage sales jump sharply

This item is contributed by Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics LLC, based on her research.

Families are relying on fun and familiar hot dogs and sausages amid the coronavirus outbreak. During regular times, hot dogs are a $2.3 billion category with 52-week growth of +0.7%. But as a kid-friendly, protein dense, versatile and easy-to-prepare solution, sales have jumped as shoppers stock up on staples.

Hot dog sales jumped an unbelievable 123% in dollars and 104.9% in volume over the comparable week in 2019, according to IRI IRI sales data for the week ending March 15, analyzed by 210 Analytics.The prior week showed an 11.2% increase in dollars and 9.1% in volume. These sales spikes may only the beginning as social distancing, school closures and other COVID-19 related measures sharpened significantly the subsequent week. 

Hot dogs

The biggest segment, beef hot dogs, also grew the most in absolute dollars, with dollar sales over the week ending March 15 up 134.1%. Percentage-wise, Angus hot dogs grew the most.

Regular hot dogs, by far the biggest share in sales, jumped 122.9% in dollars, generating $25.3 million more than the week of March 8, which was already a big week for hot dog sales, according to IRI. At Walmart, shopper Erin Light put a few packages of different hot dogs in her cart. “Having the kids home from school means figuring out quick lunches while I try to get my work done,” she says. “The kids love them, so it makes for a quick solution every three, four days, with some grapes or apple slices. I typically buy regular beef franks, but right now, I take what I can get.” 

The surge in sales numbers shows shoppers are in the market for all pack sizes, large and small. The most common pack size is eight hot dogs and sales increased 108.7% over the comparable week in 2019. Just between the week endings March 8 and March 15, sales increased by $22 million, for a total of $43.6 million.

Sausage

Like hot dogs, sausage sales geared up quickly as another protein-packed, easy to prepare and kid-friendly solution. The week of March 15, sales were up 72.0% over the comparable week in 2019 for total random weight sausages.

Stay tuned for more sales updates every Tuesday by IRI and 210 Analytics and be sure to recognize the incredible effort by everyone in the meat supply chain to make these kinds of sales figures reality.

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