Australia-Retail Butchers trade slows down in recession.

AUSTRALIA-Butcher sales subdued in February

Australian butchers reported that sales of all meat types slumped in February, with deteriorating consumer confidence reducing demand for high-value meat cuts. The results, from MLA’s butcher survey carried out by Millward Brown, also indicated that prices of most meat cuts fell below the same time last year.

In February, 31% of butchers noted beef sales as ’very good to excellent’ and a further 52% reported ’good’ sales. This was below the February 2008 results, when 65% of butchers indicated ’very good to excellent’ sales and 28% rated their sales as ’good’. For lamb, only 29% of respondents reported ’very good to excellent’ sales while 50% reported ’good’ trading compared with 58% and 30%, respectively, during February 2008.

Butchers also noted slow sales of pork during February, with the proportion of butchers reporting ’very good to excellent’ sales dropping to 19% year-on-year (compared with 38% in February 2008). Sales of chicken fell during the same period, as only 31% of respondents reported ’very good to excellent’ sales compared with 62% 12 months earlier.

Prices reported by 100 butchers during February indicated that values of most meats cuts surveyed decreased – falling between 5% and 13% year-on-year.