« June 2006 Table of Contents 
Fresh fish sales ahead of 2005
Retailers' challenge is to extend spring-to-summer
spike throughout year
June 01, 2006
Fresh fish is the second-leading category contributor to
total seafood-department dollar sales, behind shellfish.
Looking across the total U.S. at the 52 weeks ending March 31,
2006, the fresh fish category averaged $1,558 in sales per week
per store, up from an average of $1,488 per week per store
during the same time period the previous year. Nationally, the
average fresh-fish-category contribution to seafood-department
sales registered 31.6 percent per week per store during the 52
weeks ending March 31, 2006, up slightly (0.1 percent) from
last year. The Central region captured the greatest
fresh-fish-category contribution to total seafood-department
sales during the 52 weeks ending March 31, 2006, averaging 34.8
percent per week per store.
The East posted the greatest average category sales of
$2,408 per week per store, up slightly from $2,347 during the
same period the previous year.
Peak season for fresh fish is historically marked by Ash
Wednesday and remains strong throughout spring and into the
summer grilling season. In 2006, the first two weeks of March,
the start of Lent, were the top weeks for category sales
nationally, averaging $2,041 and $2,044 per week per store,
respectively.
Not surprisingly, fresh fish sales plummeted to a low during
Thanksgiving week in 2005, averaging only $1,062 per week per
store. Retailers can extend summer fish sales into fall and
winter by showcasing fish in hearty cold-weather recipes, such
as stews, or with winter vegetables.
Across the U.S., salmon accounted for an average of 36.6
percent of fresh-fish-category dollar share per week per store.
During the week of July 4, 43.8 percent of fresh fish category
sales came from salmon, 6 percentage points above the 52-week
average.