CONSUMER RESEARCH
Chicken eating frequency, market penetration reach highs
Foodservice and grocery haven’t fully recovered from the recession, but chicken is getting
its share, and more, of the business, according to a consumer survey.
BY GARY THORNTON
Chicken eating frequency and market penetration were at 10-year highs in a June 2011
survey of 1,000 U.S. households.
While the foodservice and retail grocery
businesses haven’t fully recovered from the
recession, chicken is getting its share, and
more, of consumer purchases in both sectors,
according to a survey of 1,050 consumers
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View complete survey results online:
Consumer preferences for chicken
www.WATTAgNet.com/25107.html
conducted for the National Chicken Council
and funded by WATT PoultryUSA and
Givaudan Flavors.
Frequency of eating chicken averaged
5. 7 times in the two-week survey period,
equaling the 2010 high, while the share of
households eating chicken rose to a new
high of 93%.
Market penetration, or share of households
reporting eating chicken, showed the strongest
growth for purchases at foodservice, rising to
73% in 2011 from 67% in 2010. Meanwhile,
the share of households eating chicken purchased from retail grocery stores rose by two
percentage points over 2010, reaching 87%
Prepared meals of chicken, chicken products,
sandwiches and similar foodservice chicken
items are included in the responses. Year-to-year comparisons are based on surveys
conducted in 2001 through 2011, except for
2009 when no survey was conducted.
Frequency of eating chicken
purchased from retail grocery
4
3. 5
3
2. 5
Times
2
1. 5
1
0.5
0
3. 6
3. 6
3. 1
2. 9
3. 1
3. 1
3. 3
3. 2
2. 7
2. 4
Note: Frequency includes all respondents whether they ate chicken or not during the two-week period.
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Average times during two-week period
2010 2011
The frequency of eating chicken purchased from retail grocery in the two-week
period was 3. 6 times.
Frequency of eating chicken
purchased from food service
2. 5
2
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2. 1 2. 1
1. 8
1. 9
1. 7
1. 8
Times
1. 5
1
0.5
0
Note: Frequency includes all respondents whether they ate chicken or not during the two-week period.
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Average times during two-week period
2010 2011
The frequency of eating chicken purchased from foodservice in the two-week period was
2. 1 times.
