As grocery retailers plan to expand meat offerings in 2023, the focus will be on increased access to fresh and organic offerings. Epic Sales Partners, an independent fresh-food sales agency based in Irving, Texas, helped more than 75 retail chains and 2,000 storefronts access 300 different meat products in 2022.
Fresh meat products are a critical driver of growth for retailers, and this is why they rely so heavily on dependable suppliers and brokers.
They have increased this commitment, with a goal of helping retailers and meat suppliers provide local communities access to 600 different meat products in 2023.
In a recent survey, more than 43 percent of retailers felt that fresh meat presents the biggest challenge in 2023. This can be attributed to unpredictability with the supply chain, pricing and overall inflation. This is why Epic works with meat suppliers and manufacturers who have a strong commitment to predictability and consistent growth.
“Retail shoppers still prefer to shop for fresh meat in their local stores,” said Dave Huddle, president of Epic Sales Partners – Central. “Our retail partners rely heavily on quality meat suppliers to meet these demands and to consistently increase store traffic due to the availability of fresh meat products.”
The industry expects to see a 5.5 percent increase in food sales in 2023. In addition, inflation has decreased for perimeter departments, which includes fresh meat. A recent study by IRI, “Impact Of Inflation On Consumer Behavior,” shows that while inflation has decreased, demand has increased. Retailers experienced volume growth in pork, chicken and beef during the latter half of 2022.
“Epic stays ahead of trends and works with meat suppliers across the country to supply a steady supply chain of quality products,” said Mark Wilhelm, president of Epic Sales Partners – West. “Our growth in the variety of meat products helps meet the increasing demands of retailers and consumers.”
The Epic team attended the Annual Meat Conference held March 6-8, hosted by the North American Meat Institute and the Food Industry Association. The event included more than 1,500 meat and poultry professionals.
As the largest independent food sales agency in the country, Epic Sales Partners looks forward to building new partnerships to further support its commitment to growth in the year ahead.
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