« September 2007 Table of Contents 
Retail Report: Mollusk sales up 16.7 percent
Scallops drive category sales nationwide
September 01, 2007
Mollusks, including scallops, clams, oysters and mussels,
contribute a small - but growing - share of the retail
shellfish category. Mollusks account for 9.6 percent of
category sales and 4.7 percent of total seafood department
sales. Nationally, weekly mollusk sales averaged $243 per
store, a 16.7 percent increase compared to the previous year
for the 52 weeks ending June 30.
Considered a splurge for most shoppers, mollusks show sharp
sales spikes during holiday weeks as consumers incorporate
items such as scallops and oysters into their entertainment
menus. Mollusk sales peaked during Christmas week, averaging
$451 per store. The subcategory posted the second-highest
average weekly dollar sales during Thanksgiving, with $358 per
store. Weekly sales reached an annual low during the week
ending Oct. 28, 2006, with $142 per store.
The East region had the highest average weekly dollar sales
with $623 per store, an increase of 16.7 percent compared to
the previous year. The highest category contribution to
department, with 7.4 percent, was also in the East region.
All regions experienced an increase in average weekly sales
and category contribution compared to the previous year. The
Central region represents the greatest opportunity for growth
in the seafood department at 9 percent category
contribution.
Nationally, scallops drive mollusk sales, accounting for
61.9 percent of average weekly sales. Clams captured the second
highest share of average weekly sales at 17.2 percent, followed
by oysters at 12.3 percent, mussels at 4.9 percent and squid at
3 percent. With a fraction of mollusk dollar share, the smaller
subcategories, which include octopus, snails, conch and
cuttlefish, each reported less than 1 percent of average weekly
dollar sales.
The scallops subcategory saw the highest average sales at
$249 per week per store during Christmas week, corresponding
with the week of greatest mollusk sales. While clams reported
higher average weekly dollar sales for the year than oysters,
oysters were a top performing item during key holiday weeks.
Oysters led mollusk sales during Thanksgiving week, averaging
$214 per store, and reported the second highest average sales
during Christmas week with $138 per store.