How Often Do Shoppers Eat Deli Meats?  

The deli counter is a popular destination for many shoppers, but many have questions about how the foods differ in the case.

The deli counter is a popular destination for many shoppers, but many have questions about how the foods differ in the case. The Lempert Report queried the SupermarketGuru consumer panel to find out how interested consumers are in deli meats; from why they eat them to what are the most popular choices. The results are in and some might surprise you.

Eighty percent of the consumer panel eats deli meats. But for the 20% who don’t, here are the main reasons they state: not healthy (39%), too many additives (20%), don’t like them (7%), not sure about the quality of the meat (7%), concerned about sodium (5%). Others site allergies and cross contamination, as well as perceived cleanliness of the deli in general.

These findings match the 2015 IDDBA-SupermarketGuru Consumer Panel Survey which highlights how supermarket delis can build confidence (and sales) in their service departments.

For those that do enjoy deli meats, four out of ten respondents eat them a couple of times a week, followed by those who consume them a couple of times a month (38%). Only eight percent eat deli meats daily.

The most popular choices are: turkey (46%), ham (25%), roast beef (7%), salami (6%) and chicken breast (3%).  

The majority are purchasing their deli meat fresh from the deli counter (74%) versus those who just grab the prepackaged version - obviously choosing the service department as the place where they can not only choose exactly what they want, see the piece of meat their selection is cut from and custom order the weight of package and thickness of slice.  One key note: 72% sometimes or always read labels and ask about added ingredients, so it is critical for your staff to be educated about the ingredients and be able to correctly answer their shoppers questions.

Of the various additives, 57% try and avoid nitrites (used as a preservative) in their deli meats.