Grocery Shoppers Are Secretly Buying More of This Item Than Ever Before
Grocery stores have been restocking things like meat, eggs, and cheese for weeks. With people cooking at home more, plenty of grocery staples have been out of stock. Supply returned to normal for a little while, but coronavirus cases are rising again. Restaurants are shutting their doors once more, and people are flocking back to the supermarket.
One item, though, is surging in popularity. This product is prominent in grocery stores but is eaten mostly in restaurants. Despite the ups and downs of demand from restaurants that reopened and may have shut down again, seafood is still seeing sales skyrocket.
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More people bought fish, shrimp, and other shellfish in May than any other poultry or meat. Seafood sales for the week ending on May 30 went up 48% compared to the week before, according to Nation's Restaurant News.
This is all happening even though seafood prices are higher than normal. With restaurants closed or offering only takeout or delivery, they haven't been buying as much and so fishermen have decreased how much they fish. Plus, some fishing areas are taking serious precautions against the virus. Many are small villages that have fewer resources for treating those who get sick than bigger cities close together. So a lot of fishermen have opted out of this fishing season.
But demand has been able to bounce slightly back. Seafood at your local grocery store is cheaper than the most expensive price earlier during the pandemic, and restaurants have taken creative approaches to sell more of it. Many have spiced up their menus with more seafood, Nation's Restaurant News says.
McDonald's Filet-o-Fish never left the menu, even when other items were cut. Red Lobster is reopening some dining rooms in states where it is allowed. They are also offering new Family Meal Deals that can feed four for only $7 a person.
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