What's in Store 2025

CIRCANA CATEGORY UPDATES - DELI

Circana Category Updates - Deli

Savannah Williams, Client Insights Analyst III at Circana

In 2024 year to date, deli was up in dollars and units compared to last year – and even outpaced total food and beverage in unit sales. Compared to 3 years ago, deli’s trips per buyer is up 10.1% per American household meaning people are going to the deli more often and show no signs of stopping. While deli is showing year over year growth, there are parts of the deli that are on fire while some other areas struggle.

Deli Prepared and Entertaining:

Much of the growth in deli is contributed to deli prepared and entertaining. The average store has 15 more items in their entire deli compared to this time last year and most of these new items are coming from the prepared and entertaining section. While many people think of deli prepared as the typical “hot bar” things are evolving. “Successful delis are meeting people where they are at and answering many occasions needs,” explains Jonna Parker, Vice President of Fresh Foods at Circana, “These delis have a mix of hot and ready and take and bake.”

Deli prepared units per buyer are up 3.6% compared to last year and up 10.6% from 3 years ago. If there’s a robust service case this can be a major foot traffic driver. New items can drive frequency and excitement to the deli case causing new reasons to go to the space. Deli pizza, prepared meats, and appetizers are the categories with the highest increase in frequency.

Although household penetration has held stable for total deli prepared at 93.8%, prepared meats, entrees, and appetizers showing strong household penetration growth compared to last year. Deli entrees tend to be one of the more expensive items in the prepared space, but “with 2+ years of dealing with food cost inflation, people are experiencing frugal fatigue,” Parker explains, “People want restaurant style and quality of food without the price of eating out. This is where deli entrees can really shine.” Sushi has always been the most popular deli entrée, but as eating out is increasingly more expensive, people are turning to the deli as a way to get items that are hard to make for themselves.

Deli Meat & Cheese:

This year was challenging for deli meat. Even before the deli meat recall this summer, buyers were already leaving and the aisle wasn’t making back net new. In Circana’s National Eating Trends® published in March, sandwiches were already one of the top declining foods for in – home lunch consumption compared to last year. With the lack of new buyers, volume continuing to be down, and sandwich units down deli meat has had a tough year.

“Looking at the impacts of this deli meat recall,” Parker explains, “packaged lunchmeat in the meat department continues to be stable with buyers. Meaning that people did not stop buying deli lunchmeat and move over to packaged. People just left lunchmeat all together.”

A few years ago, the deli saw a major change up with grab & go becoming more widely available in meat and in cheese. This rise of grab & go buoyed deli meat for a little while. Now in 2024, every store has multiple grab & go brands and items so this is not bringing in different people and trips to the store – so no longer adding more pounds.

While deli cheese is seeing volume declines in grab & go, service, and pre-sliced, deli cheese is still growing due to the strong growth in deli specialty cheese. Of the fastest growing deli cheeses in the space, all are from the specialty category. Hispanic specialty cheese is the fastest growing cheese in the deli for 2024, which aligns with macro trends. America is starting to look more diverse but also younger Americans are looking to try new things and go out and buy different types of cheeses that they didn’t grow up eating.

WHAT’S IN STORE | 2025

© 2025 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association

Circana Category Updates - Deli

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