Dive Brief:
- Domestic stockpiles of frozen turkeys reached four-year highs in August and September, according to government figures. That time period is generally the peak for cold storage for the birds and is a strong indicator of where prices will be in the final shopping days before Thanksgiving.
- Americans eat some 46 million of the birds on Thanksgiving—and 80% of them are frozen.
- Frozen turkeys were selling at retail for about $1.82 a pound in September. But wholesale prices have fallen steadily since then and grocers are picking up bird cheaply. Consumers are paying $1.45 a pound in some places and as low as 59 cents a pound in others.
Dive Insight:
A few things worth remembering , as those frozen turkey prices fall: One, heed the words of William Shatner and don't try to deep-fry a frozen turkey. Two, the prices for fresh turkey have not fallen. So foodies, deep-fry fans and others will be paying more this year than last for their birds.
