Tradition rules the roost on Turkey Day
Thanksgiving is almost here. As the hours tick away until the big meal, people across the U.S. are scrambling to prepare the menu.
This year’s dinner will likely include traditional favorites as foodies have less of an appetite for adventure and more of a desire for classic cooking. Last year, Catalina, a digital media company that tracks consumer behavior, analyzed shopping habits at approximately
27,000 stores across the U.S. during the week of Thanksgiving. In 2016, they found consumers chose time-honored practices, such as making turkey and fresh foods, over pre-prepared options.
“Shoppers are embracing a more traditional menu,” says Marta Cyhan, head of marketing for Catalina.
People are taking the time to prepare a turkey centerpiece. But, sales of ham and ready-to-eat meals declined in
2016. Ham sales were down 20% last year. Pre-made cakes and prepared frosting mixes also took a nosedive. People spent 22% less on frozen cakes during Thanksgiving week 2016 compared with 2015.
Cooks are choosing fresh herbs over the dried variety. Sales of fresh herbs rose 9.7% in 2016 from the year before.
Sales of Thanksgiving classics like canned cranberries, pie shells and gravy decreased throughout 2016, except during Thanksgiving week.
“It’s a throwback of things that are more traditional,” Cyhan says. “We anticipate that will probably happen this Thanksgiving as well.”
Here’s a look at what’s likely on the dinner table this week.
Canned cranberry sauce
The holiday food makes a comeback. Last year, shoppers spent more than $12 million on cranberry sauce during Thanksgiving week, or 11 times the amount purchased the rest of the year. Sales were also 6.6% higher in 2016 than in 2015. Consumers love it, but only during Thanksgiving. “I just don’t think about buying it any other time of the year,” says Glenn Chocky of Brooklyn.
Stuffing mix
With so many turkeys on the table this week, diners are hungry for stuffing, a popular favorite among both carnivores and vegetarians. Last year, stuffing sales reached nearly $24 million during Thanksgiving week. That’s nine times the amount of stuffing consumed other times of the year.
Pie shells
Shoppers are skipping pre-made pies and opting for the home cooked variety — at least partially. Sales of pie shells, frozen, refrigerated and shelf stable, were in demand this time last year week. Shoppers bought five times the number of pie shells during Thanksgiving week 2016 and spent more than $20 million on all three varieties of pie crusts. Ann Marie Kendrick, a retired nurse in Albion, Mich., stocks up on pie crusts during the holidays. “I’m really bad at making pie crusts,” she says.