Butchers report strong sales in April
Butchers have reported a rise in sales in April compared to March, although results were mixed in comparison to last year.
The Millward Brown monthly survey of Australian butchers suggested the stimulus package and a trend toward eating at home provided a boost to butchers last month.
In April, 46% of respondents reported ‘very good to excellent’ beef sales, up from 44% in March, but below responses in April 2008 (52%). For lamb, 43% of butchers surveyed noted that sales were ‘very good to excellent’, higher than the 27% of respondents in March and 40% in April last year.
Thirty-one per cent of butchers said they had ‘very good to excellent’ pork sales during April compared with 14% in March and 23% in April 2008. During the same period, around 44% of respondents reported ‘very good to excellent’ sales of chicken, up from 25% on the previous month, although below the 48% registered in April 2008.
Price information provided by 100 butchers during April indicated mixed beef prices, while lamb prices remained relatively strong over the year before.
