This study examines the retail sales dynamics of crawfish in the United States (U.S.) using weekly retail scanner data from AC Nielsen Consumer LLC (currently known as NielsenIQ or NIQ), spanning September 2016 to August 2021. The data cover 54 metropolitan markets and 8 regional markets across all U.S. census divisions. Specifically, this study focuses on key national seafood trends, including sales volume (in pounds), sales value (in dollars), growth rates (percent), and average prices over the study period.
Crawfish is a culturally significant seafood, particularly in the southern region, where aquaculture is making up an important part of production. Total retail sales reached $109.70 million during the last 12-months period in our sample. Moreover, sales volume increased by 47.2%, and revenue grew by 78.8% from 2016 to 2021. There is significant seasonal variation, with a consistent annual revenue peak between March and May (Figure 1). The frozen category is the most important by value at $62.94 million in annual sales, while fresh crawfish obtained the fastest growth (110.07%). The whole crawfish and tail meat dominated product-specific sales, earning $26.15 million and $47.87 million, respectively, with tail meat priced highest at nearly $15 per pound. Regionally, the South-Central U.S., especially Louisiana and Texas, accounted for a substantial share of crawfish sales.
Keywords: Crawfish market; US retail sales; Fresh and frozen; Crawfish meat.