Share of consumers eating chicken purchased from retail grocery
during two-week period
0
2011
2010
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
87
85
77
82
82
84
87
✔Hispanic consumers reported the highest
share of households eating chicken in the
two-week period at 96% compared to 91%
for blacks and 92% for whites.
✔The share of consumers not eating chicken
in a two-week period dropped to 7% in
2011 from 10% in 2010.
78
81
20
40
Percent
60
80
74
100
Share of consumers eating chicken purchased from retail grocery during the two-week period hit
a 10-year high at 87%.
Share of consumers eating chicken purchased from food service
during two-week period
2011
2010
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
0
73
67
63
65
67
67
69
Consumers stretching their food
budgets
Chicken’s strong showing in purchase
frequency and market penetration during a
weak economy is no surprise, said William P.
Roenigk, senior vice president of the National
Chicken Council.
“Seeing the greater penetration or extra
households purchasing chicken at least once
every two weeks was very gratifying,” he
said. “People are looking for value and convenience and ways to make their food budgets
stretch as far as possible. Chicken – especially
legs, thighs and drums and some of the industry’s new products – offers an opportunity for
consumers to do all three things.”
62
63
67
20
40
Percent
60
80
in 2011. The 87% share in retail grocery purchases equaled the previous high in 2006.
The survey, conducted June 2, 3, 4 and
5 by PKS Research Partners, contacted
1,050 households from a pre-screened panel.
Respondents were 18 years of age and older,
with 51.5% females and 48.5% males, weighted. The sample was weighted to 1,000 respondents to reflect a demographic balance.
Share of consumers eating chicken purchased from foodservice during the two-week period hit a
10-year high at 73%.
Chicken eating survey
highlights
Following are other survey highlights:
✔Millennial households (ages 18 to 34 years)
are the heaviest users of chicken, eating it
6. 9 times in the two-week period, but they
report the biggest year-over-year decline
in 2011, down from 7. 7 times in 2010.
✔Greatest Generation households (ages 65
years and over) are the lightest users of
chicken, eating chicken 4. 8 times in the
two-week period, but they reported the
biggest year-over-year increase in 2011,
up from 3. 7 times in 2010.
✔Hispanic and black consumers ate chicken
more frequently in the two-week period at
7. 3 and 7. 1 times, respectively, than white
consumers at 5. 1 times.
More heavy users of chicken
in 2011
The survey group’s frequency of eating
chicken in the two-week period averaged
5. 7 times, but the average masks a range of
behavior. The number of heavy users (six or
more times) rose by five percentage points
to 44%. Medium users (three to five times)
stayed the same in 2011 as in 2010 at 34%.
Light users (one to two times) declined by two
percentage points to 15%. Respondents who
reported eating no chicken fell by three percentage points to 7%.
Hispanics and blacks report
heaviest use
Frequency of eating chicken continued
higher for Hispanic and black consumers than
for white consumers. The combined frequency (grocery and foodservice) was lowest for
white consumers at 5. 1 times in the two-week
period, while frequencies for Hispanic and
black consumers were significantly higher
at 7. 3 and 7. 1 times, respectively.
