SeaFood Business is the global trusted authority for seafood buyers and sellers. We are the seafood industry's leading trade magazine with more than 30 years of experience. Our coverage is based on the "business" of buying and selling seafood.
Issue link: https://seafoodbusiness.epubxp.com/i/233790
Top Story be more so with pregnant women. In general, consumers understand the benefts of seafood." "When we talk to consumers about what they don't like, or what they're concerned with, mercury ranks 12th. It's not topof-mind," he says. "It may Freezer is hot Lischewski is skeptical that any further innovations At the high end Average retail price of proteins, year to date $8 $6.12 $6 $4 Source: CattleFax, Nielsen Perishables Group $4.91 $3.44 $1.93 $2 $0 Beef Pork Chicken Seafood Going down, down, down U.S. per-capita seafood consumption, in pounds 20 15 10 Source: NFI 5 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 08 20 20 07 06 20 SeaFood Business 20 20 05 20 04 20 20 03 0 January 2014 can give the shelf-stable seafood category a huge boost, although canned tuna is the "engine that pulls the train" for his company. As far as marketing, the Tuna the Wonderfsh campaign launched by the top three canned-tuna brands (including Chicken of the Sea and StarKist) only lasted one year, not the planned three, after being deemed by the companies to be not worth investing in. Te freezer aisle may provide more growth opportunity. Bumble Bee's SuperFresh Premium Fresh Frozen product line, which Lischewski says took 18 months of R&D;, launched in June, a time when few people are turning on their ovens. But he adds that distribution and repeat-buy rates are meeting expectations. "We're trying to go after a premium segment," he says. "I don't think there really is a middle." As with ofce meals on the run, meal preparation at home for millions of consumers consists primarily of opening a microwave door and pushing a few buttons. Te frozen foods aisle holds great potential for all food manufacturers, but Gibson of Encore Associates warns of stif headwinds facing seafood manufacturers. For one, retailers need to expand the availability of frozen seafood products that are convenient and appeal to younger consumers, he says. And he should know, as he spent 22 years merchandising seafood for supermarket chain Safeway, where no department was given the leeway to be a loss leader, a tag that's dogged seafood for years. "If you don't generate a proft you don't exist," he says. Te next wave of consumers poses unique challenges. "Millennials don't know how to cook. Tey only know how to buy," says Gibson, who developed Safeway's Waterfront Bistro private label line into a $100 million annual business. Afordable species like tilapia and swai, he adds, have potential for widespread appeal if positioned carefully in part because costs are relatively stable. "Forget fresh," agrees Lempert. "Go to the frozen food case. You have IQF fllets in bags that are very affordable. People tell me they don't even know [this product is] available. It's about education: how to buy it, how to cook it, all the variances." The case is not Behind the glass is where a great deal of consumer seafood education is conducted. Retail analysts say sales opportunities are being lost there at an alarming rate because counter staf often lack the knowledge to impart confdence to shoppers that seafood is a smart choice. "Store personnel behind the case don't know seafood the way they need to," says Lempert. "Tat's 80 percent of the "What has the restaurant industry done to put some excitement behind [seafood]? I can't remember very much and I watch it pretty closely." — Warren Solocheck, VP-foodservice, NPD Group problem on the fresh seafood side — the lack of attention to training people to manage, control and sell seafood. Tey're relying more on visuals and packaging and less and less on training," agrees Gibson. "Ultimately, you have a consumer that's confused about what to do with [seafood]. And confusion is a Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com