Report: Consumers Buying Cheaper Meat

Houston Consumers who are looking to cut down on grocery bills are buying less-expensive meats, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle. The report indicated that the trend is being noticed at Kroger and H-E-B.

At H-E-B, sales of the cheapest ground beef are up, as well as sales of H-E-B’s highest-quality prime beef, said Scott McClelland, president, H-E-B Houston, adding that he is hearing that prime beef buyers are cooking more at home rather than dining out, the report said.

The change is also evident in higher-income areas, where hot dog sales at the company’s stores were up 33% between November to January, compared with the same period a year earlier, the report said.

At Kroger, more customers are buying family packs of meat, chuck steak and ground beef. Meanwhile, sales of prepared meals, such as rotisserie chicken, are also on the rise, according to the report.