When inflation hits and household budgets get tight, the meat counter is one of the first places where shoppers change their habits. Consumers will quickly trade down from expensive, premium cuts to more affordable options. This shift in demand, combined with the fact that producers also adjust their offerings to control costs, means that certain types of meat can become very hard to find. When you see the price of gas and other goods begin to surge, you can expect these nine popular meat products to be the first to vanish from the grocery store.
1. Ribeye and Filet Mignon Steaks
These are the most expensive and luxurious cuts of beef. They are the first thing that a budget-conscious shopper will cut from their grocery list. As demand for these high-end steaks plummets, grocery stores will reduce their orders to avoid being left with a lot of unsold, expensive inventory. This makes these prime cuts a rare sight during a period of high inflation.
2. Leg of Lamb
Leg of lamb is another premium meat that is often reserved for special occasions. It is also one of the most expensive items in the meat case. When families are cutting back on their spending, a fancy leg of lamb is an easy luxury to skip. This drop in demand means that many stores will simply stop stocking it altogether until the economic situation improves.
3. Veal Cutlets
Veal is another high-priced specialty meat that has a relatively small but dedicated customer base. However, it is one of the first items to be cut from a shopping list when budgets are tight. The low demand and high cost of veal make it a risky item for a grocery store to stock during an economic downturn, so it often disappears from the shelves.
4. Pre-Made Seasoned Kabob
The pre-made kabobs in the butcher case are a great convenience item. However, you are paying a huge premium for the labor of having an employee cut the meat and vegetables and assemble them for you. A budget-conscious shopper knows that it is much cheaper to buy the ingredients and make the kabobs themselves. This causes the demand for the pre-made version to drop, so stores will stop making them.
5. Organic, Grass-Fed Ground Beef
While many consumers prefer to buy organic and grass-fed ground beef, it comes at a much higher price than the conventional version. When inflation surges, many of these shoppers will trade down to the cheaper, standard ground beef to save money. This shift in demand will cause many grocery stores to reduce their inventory of the more expensive organic options.
6. Wild-Caught Salmon and Other Premium Fish
Wild-caught salmon, halibut, and other premium fish fillets are significantly more expensive than their farmed counterparts. These are another luxury item that many households will cut back on to save money. As demand for these pricey, wild-caught options decreases, the seafood counter will begin to stock more of the cheaper, farm-raised fish instead.
7. Thick-Cut, Butcher-Shop Bacon
While everyone loves bacon, the thick-cut, artisanal bacon from the butcher counter is much more expensive than the standard, pre-packaged version. A family that is trying to save money will almost always opt for the cheaper, thinner bacon from a major brand. This causes the demand for the premium, thick-cut bacon to fall, and the butcher will stock less of it.
8. Store-Made Gourmet Sausages
Many butcher counters produce their own gourmet sausages in-house, with flavors like chicken-spinach-feta or spicy Italian. These are a delicious but expensive product. During a period of high inflation, shoppers will opt for the much cheaper, mass-produced Italian sausage from a national brand. This lack of demand will cause the store to stop producing its more creative and expensive varieties.
9. Lamb Chops
Like the leg of lamb, lamb chops are another high-priced cut that is considered a luxury by most shoppers. They are one of the most expensive items in the meat case on a per-pound basis. When people are feeling the pinch of inflation, they are very unlikely to splurge on a package of lamb chops for a weeknight dinner, and so the store will stop stocking them.
The Carnivore’s Calculation
The selection at the meat counter is a direct reflection of the current state of the economy. When times are good, the case is filled with a wide variety of premium and expensive cuts. When inflation surges, however, that selection shrinks dramatically. The disappearance of these luxury meats is a clear and immediate sign that consumers are trading down and that the entire food industry is tightening its belt.
Have you cut back on buying certain types of meat due to inflation? Which meat product do you miss the most when it disappears from the shelves? Let us know!
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