Mealtime variety that revolves around lunchmeats and deli meats as a constant can become the ultimate comfort as consumers navigate feeding themselves and their families amid rapidly shifting dynamics. Evolving international trade relations’ impact on grocery accessibility and changes to regulatory bodies will likely lead consumers to seek reliability and predictability – and brands can contribute.
While some wellness hang-ups and food safety concerns are inevitable, consumers look forward to using lunchmeats and deli meats and keep them in their routines. Continuing to support their meal building and snacking, empowered with product transparency and nutrition education, can help brands ride out these shifting norms.
This report looks at the following areas:
- External factors impacting the lunchmeat and deli meat market
- Market size, forecast and company/brand activity
- Lunchmeat and deli meat consumption, and changes in consumption
- Lunchmeat and deli meat purchase drivers
- Interest in product attributes and brand initiatives
- Lunchmeat and deli meat associations
- Attitudes toward lunchmeats and deli meats
As consumers navigate evolving norms, lunchmeats and deli meats can continue providing reliable mealtime and snacking solutions that consumers look forward to.
Adriana Chychula, Analyst – Food, Drink & Nutrition
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this report, the lunchmeat market has been segmented as follows:
- Refrigerated, packaged sliced lunchmeat including, but not limited to: ham, turkey, salami, pastrami, bologna, chicken and corned beef
- Refrigerated lunchmeat including, but not limited to: specialty salami, ham, wursts and turkey. Generally more premium specialty products available in a somewhat limited selection compared to sliced meat
- Deli counter lunch meat sold in a supermarket’s deli department
The following categories are excluded from this Report, except for comparison purposes:
- Any packaged, refrigerated or frozen hot dog or frankfurter (eg Oscar Mayer all-beef hot dogs)
- Any packaged, refrigerated sausage primarily marketed as an option for lunch, dinner or a snack (eg Johnsonville sweet Italian sausage, Hillshire Farm smoked Bratwurst)
- Any packaged, refrigerated or frozen sausage primarily marketed as an option for breakfast or a morning snack (eg Jimmy Dean maple pork sausage links, Johnsonville original breakfast patties)
- Refrigerated bacon and bacon bits
Collapse All
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Lean toward more information…
- Graph 1: interest in brand initiatives, 2025
- …and into variety
- Graph 2: reasons for eating more lunchmeat/deli meat, 2025
- Keep cost efficacy back of mind
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market drivers
- Processed meats and the evolving wellness landscape
- Food safety under threat
- International supply chains in flux
- Market size and forecast
- Lunchmeat and deli meat sales leveling out
- Retail sales and forecast of lunchmeat and deli meats
- Market segmentation
- Refrigerated and shelf-stable lunchmeats to follow similar trajectories
- Retail sales of lunchmeat and deli meats, by segment
- Graph 3: total retail sales and forecast of lunchmeat and deli meats, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- Retail sales of lunchmeat and deli meats, by segment
- Market share/brand share
- Varied performances between larger players, private label
- Sales of lunchmeat and deli meats, by company
- Smithfield foods, private labels post positive gains
- Sales of refrigerated lunchmeat, by leading companies and brands
- Strongest performance in private labels
- Sales of shelf-stable lunchmeat, by leading companies and brands
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Lunchmeat and deli meat consumption
- Packaged and deli varieties go neck-and-neck
- Graph 4: lunchmeat/deli meat consumption, 2025
- Some products resonate across generations; others less-so
- Graph 5: lunchmeat and deli meat consumption, by generation, 2025
- The category is generally financially inclusive
- Graph 6: lunchmeat/deli meat consumption, by financial health, 2025
- Changes in lunchmeat and deli meat consumption
- Routines are stable and have potential for growth
- Graph 7: changes in lunchmeat/deli meat consumption, 2025
- A look at who is increasing
- Use daypart associations to brands’ advantage
- Graph 8: reasons for eating more lunchmeat/deli meat, 2025
- Support younger consumers’ culinary creativity
- Graph 9: reasons for eating more lunchmeat, by generation, 2025
- Cost savings have financially inclusive appeal
- Graph 10: reasons for eating more lunchmeat/deli meat, by financial health, 2025
- Addressing wellness drawbacks can go beyond products
- Graph 11: reasons for eating less lunchmeat/deli meat, 2025
- Lunchmeat and deli meat purchase drivers
- A balance between budgets and indulgence
- Graph 12: lunchmeat/deli meat purchase drivers, 2025
- Add color to supply chains for younger consumers
- Graph 13: lunchmeat/deli meat purchase drivers, by generation, 2025
- Expect attention to details to be directed by finances
- Graph 14: lunchmeat/deli meat purchase drivers, by financial health, 2025
- Interest in lunchmeat and deli meat product attributes
- More than anything, consumers want to make the most of purchases
- Graph 15: interest in lunchmeat/deli meat product attributes, 2025
- Align with “realness” for older consumers
- Graph 16: interest in lunchmeat/deli meat product attributes, by generation, 2025
- Practicality is financially inclusive
- Graph 17: interest in lunchmeat/deli meat product attributes, by financial health, 2025
- Lunchmeat and deli meat associations
- Deli meats have some advantages…
- Graph 18: lunchmeat/deli meat associations, 2025
- Stand-out demographic stats
- Interest in lunchmeat and deli meat brand initiatives
- Leave out the mystery
- Graph 19: interest in lunchmeat/deli meat brand initiatives, 2025
- Promote sharing creativity among younger consumers
- Graph 20: interest in lunchmeat/deli meat brand initiatives, by generation, 2025
- Level the financial playing field with education
- Graph 21: interest in lunchmeat/deli meat brand initiatives, by financial healthy, 2025
- Attitudes toward lunchmeat and deli meat
- Valid concerns, yet equal enjoyment factor
- Graph 22: attitudes toward lunchmeat/deli meat, 2025
- Help consumers contextualize wellness
- Graph 23: attitudes toward lunchmeat/deli meat, by generation, 2025
- Brand, supply chain transparency may become more necessary
- Graph 24: attitudes toward lunchmeat/deli meat, by financial health, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Inspired flavor
- Lean into simple pleasures and creativity
- Marketing and advertising
- Boar’s Head works to reestablish consumer trust
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Retail sales and forecast of lunchmeat and deli meats, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Retail sales and forecast of refrigerated lunchmeat, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Retail sales and forecast of shelf-stable lunchmeat, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Google search results for “charcuterie board,” 2016-2025
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