Sausage Category Growth and Trends
Date Posted: 04/06/2007
Sausage Boom
• The sausage category is considered the largest segment of the processed meat industry.
• The dinner sausage market is exploding. According to Information Resources Inc., dinner sausage sales in 2000 through early 2001 increased by more than 12 percent from the previous year—to nearly $1.3 billion.
• Sales of processed meats are expected to grow about 4 percent annually and are projected to reach nearly $38 billion by 2007. This is according to a 1999 industry report issued by Business Trend Analysts of New York. Of those figures, sausage product sales should grow most rapidly—at an average annual rate of 4.8 percent.
• According to IRI, Johnsonville Sausage captured two of the top three growth brands in the robust dinner sausage market with its refrigerated dinner sausage.
• Population penetration of any kind of sausage remains close to 80 percent, with an increase of penetration for Italian sausage, which is up from past years and is now estimated at 35 percent.
• Recent high growth in the sausage category is fueled by new products aimed at meeting consumer demands related to taste and convenience.
• More and more chefs are taking advantage of the versatility, taste and convenience of sausage products.
• Breakfast sausage of all types averages 30 percent of breakfast meats.
• Italian sausage has the highest penetration in the Northeast.
• Preference for Johnsonville Italian sausage has increased from 13 to 15 percent.
• In the last 10 years, Johnsonville has seen a 500 percent increase in productivity, going from a small local company to a company that does business across the nation and in several countries.
Bratwurst
• 75 percent of all the brats produced in America come from a town 55 miles south of Green Bay in Sheboygan County – Johnsonville, Wisconsin. The unincorporated town is so small, it doesn’t have an official population.
• Research shows an increase in reported use of fresh bratwurst from 22 to 25 percent and in use of pre-cooked bratwurst from 16 to 18 percent.
• The net penetration for any kind of bratwurst is 34 percent, up from 31 percent in 2001.
• Bratwurst is traditionally most popular in the Midwest. But sausage fans the world over are discovering its BIG TASTE because of Johnsonville’s extensive distribution.
• In the Midwest (North Central) bratwurst commands a two-figure share of grill on average.
• The increase in bratwurst penetration can be seen among most age groups.
• The sausage category is considered the largest segment of the processed meat industry.
• The dinner sausage market is exploding. According to Information Resources Inc., dinner sausage sales in 2000 through early 2001 increased by more than 12 percent from the previous year—to nearly $1.3 billion.
• Sales of processed meats are expected to grow about 4 percent annually and are projected to reach nearly $38 billion by 2007. This is according to a 1999 industry report issued by Business Trend Analysts of New York. Of those figures, sausage product sales should grow most rapidly—at an average annual rate of 4.8 percent.
• According to IRI, Johnsonville Sausage captured two of the top three growth brands in the robust dinner sausage market with its refrigerated dinner sausage.
• Population penetration of any kind of sausage remains close to 80 percent, with an increase of penetration for Italian sausage, which is up from past years and is now estimated at 35 percent.
• Recent high growth in the sausage category is fueled by new products aimed at meeting consumer demands related to taste and convenience.
• More and more chefs are taking advantage of the versatility, taste and convenience of sausage products.
• Breakfast sausage of all types averages 30 percent of breakfast meats.
• Italian sausage has the highest penetration in the Northeast.
• Preference for Johnsonville Italian sausage has increased from 13 to 15 percent.
• In the last 10 years, Johnsonville has seen a 500 percent increase in productivity, going from a small local company to a company that does business across the nation and in several countries.
Bratwurst
• 75 percent of all the brats produced in America come from a town 55 miles south of Green Bay in Sheboygan County – Johnsonville, Wisconsin. The unincorporated town is so small, it doesn’t have an official population.
• Research shows an increase in reported use of fresh bratwurst from 22 to 25 percent and in use of pre-cooked bratwurst from 16 to 18 percent.
• The net penetration for any kind of bratwurst is 34 percent, up from 31 percent in 2001.
• Bratwurst is traditionally most popular in the Midwest. But sausage fans the world over are discovering its BIG TASTE because of Johnsonville’s extensive distribution.
• In the Midwest (North Central) bratwurst commands a two-figure share of grill on average.
• The increase in bratwurst penetration can be seen among most age groups.