The week ending April 19 marked the seventh week of multi-digit year-over-year sales gains for hot dogs, according to Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics. Dollar sales increased 29 percent and volume sales increased 21 percent over the week of April 19 versus the comparable week in 2019, according to data from IRI. National brands make up 97 percent of total hot dog sales and grew dollar sales 29 percent.
With many lunch, dinner and snack occasions having moved from restaurants, campuses, school cafeterias and other foodservice establishments to at home, hot dogs very quickly ramped up as a go-to solution as a kid-friendly, protein dense, versatile and easy-to-prepare solution amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Source: IRI, MULO, 1 week $ growth versus year ago
Type
Beef hot dogs represent more than 60 percent of total hot dog sales and grew the most, at +36 percent. The prolonged duration of the double-digit increases, particularly during Easter week and this week, going up against Easter 2019 sales, points to a higher everyday demand following the initial stock-up purchases.
| Hot dog sales by week ending versus the comparable week in 2019 | |||||||
| 03-08-20 | 03-15-20 | 03-22-20 | 03-29-20 | 04-05-20 | 04-12-20 | 04-19-20 | |
| Beef | +14% | +134% | +136% | +52% | +59% | +42% | +36% |
| Non-beef | +10% | +106% | +114% | +33% | +37% | +24% | +18% |
Source: IRI, MULO, 1 week $ growth versus year ago
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, representing 51 percent of all sales, which explains the somewhat lower growth rate. Even so, larger pack sizes of 10 and 24 counts have been doing very well these past few weeks, once more pointing to an increased everyday demand.
| Hot dog sales by week ending versus the comparable week in 2019 | |||||||
| 03-08-20 | 03-15-20 | 03-22-20 | 03-29-20 | 04-05-20 | 04-12-20 | 04-19-20 | |
| 8 count | +5% | +109% | +119% | +37% | +42% | +31% | +26% |
| 10 count | +15% | +113% | +132% | +54% | +58% | +37% | +37% |
| 6 count | +17% | +173% | +112% | +46% | +60% | +30% | +47% |
| 24 count | +13% | +118% | +124% | +51% | +60% | +42% | +51% |
Source: IRI, MULO, 1 week $ growth versus year ago
