APRIL FROZEN FOOD SALES
Subdued Month of April for Frozen Food Sales By: Anne-Marie Roerink, President, 210 Analytics
April in Review ▪ Consumer sentiment declined by 3.5 index points in March/April 2026, according to the University of Michigan. At 49.8, sentiment is now comparable to the trough recorded in June 2022. Declines were seen across income, age and education levels.
▪ Ongoing geopolitical tensions have pushed up energy, shipping/transportation and fertilizer costs, with fuel volatility affecting all links of the supply chain. Gas prices climbed to an average of $4.13 per gallon by late April, up from $2.98 in February. Higher fuel costs could impact the elevated level of grocery trips seen in recent years.
▪ Labor market conditions remain relatively tight. The latest BLS data showed 7.2 million job seekers versus 6.9 million available openings.
▪ On a more positive note, year-to-date tax refunds continue to pace ahead of year-ago levels, up 11%, according to the IRS.
▪ Demonstrating resilience amid rising costs, total food and beverage spending at retail during the first four months of 2026 increased 2% versus the same period last year, according to Circana (MULO+ universe). However, unit sales were unchanged, suggesting consumers continue to protect essential purchases while focusing on buying only what they need. In contrast, restaurant trips declined by 2% in March, according to Circana.
▪ Perishables outperformed center store departments in both dollars and units. Combined fresh departments increased unit sales by 0.5%, while center store department unit sales declined by 0.3%.
▪ Monthly averages mask substantial week-to-week volatility resulting from the shift in Easter timing. The earlier Easter drove strong dollar and unit gains for the week ending April 5, whereas the two weeks aligned with last year’s holiday timing experienced substantial declines. As a result, the final week of April is likely the better reflection of underlying everyday demand.
Total food and beverage dollar and unit sales at retail Dollars vs. YA
Units vs. YA 9.4% 8.4% 3.4% 0.6% 2.4% 0.5% 2.3% 3.1% 0.5% -2.8% CY 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026 w.e. 04-05-26 -4.7% -8.4% w.e. 04-12-26 -10.9% w.e. 04-19-26 w.e. 04-26-26
Inflation Insights Retail food and beverage price growth remained mild at 2.0% year-over-year in April 2026 (four weeks ending 4/26/2026). This was up from 1.5% in year-over-year inflation in March. Additionally, this overall increase masked a growing divergence: center-store items continued to see meaningful inflation, while perishable departments experienced slight deflation. ▪ Center-store prices averaged $4.09 per unit, up 4.3% year-over-year. ▪ Perishable prices averaged $4.37 per unit, down 0.3% versus April 2025.
Food & beverages 2019 PPU
Change 2020 $3.13 $3.31 2021 2022 $3.49 $3.93 Source: Circana, Integrated Fresh, Total U.S., MULO+ 2023 2024 2025 Q2 Q3 2025 2025 Q4 2025 Q1 2026
Apr. 2026
$4.17 $4.24 $4.29 $4.30 $4.31 $4.32 $4.32 $4.34 +2.0% +5.7% +5.5% +12.5% +6.1% +1.7% +2.6% +2.7% +3.0% +1.8% +1.8% +2.0% 0.7%
For Public Use | Need more information?
www.circana.com Or reach us here
210 Analytics
aroerink@210analytics.com
WHAT’S IN STORE | 2026 © 2026 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association
April Marketplace
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