CHICAGO — With everything from inflation to sustainability efforts to a worldwide pandemic affecting global markets the past few years, the meat industry and its consumers did not come out unscathed. According to Midan Marketing’s proprietary Meat Consumer Segmentation 3.0 report, five new meat and poultry consumer segments have emerged from the recent changes.

“We conducted research throughout 2020 and 2021 to understand how the pandemic was changing meat consumers,” said Michael Uetz, co-founder and principal at Midan. “As things began to return to normal, we were excited to repeat our Meat Consumer Segmentation research to get a snapshot of where consumers landed after all of this change.”

Midan’s research was conducted in early 2023 through a survey of a nationally representative sample of US consumers on their meat and poultry buying preferences.

Based off the survey, Midan declared the five new consumer segments to be Connected Trendsetters, Claim Seekers, Convenience Cravers, Committed Carnivores and Classic Palates.

Connected Trendsetters compose 14% of the consumer base and hold the highest average household income at $73,000. As the youngest of the segments, averaging 37 years of age, these consumers are the most engaged with their meat and poultry purchasing decisions. Midan defines the group by its connection to the internet, to each other and to the products they purchase.

The majority of Connected Trendsetters purchase their meat online at least some of the time. Many are adventurous eaters, and they look to influencers on what new foods to try. Almost 70% of them said they rely on convenient meat products like pre-marinated and pre-seasoned options.

The largest group of meat and poultry consumers are the Claim Seekers (24%), who average 56 years of age. This cohort is willing to pay more for products that meet their standards for healthy products that are humanely raised and sustainable. Seventy percent of the segment is women, and they are defined by their desire for claims.

While Claim Seekers has about average consumption of all the primary proteins, several are looking to eat less beef and pork this year. Over 80% said they look for all-natural meat, and 77% said they try to purchase meat labeled as non-GMO.

The Convenience Cravers segment — which holds 17% of the population, averaging 44 years of age — finds it hard to cook meat just right and have the time for a sit-down meal. Males and Millennials dominate in this group.

Looking for ways to save on time, 44% of Convenience Cravers have purchased fresh meat online recently, and several search for pre-cooked meat as a convenient meal solution. Midan Marketing estimates that 70% eat ground beef at home once a week.

Primarily living in the Midwest or rural towns, the Committed Carnivores segment averages 54 years of age, $57,000 per household income and makes up 23% of the population. They enjoy sitting down for family meals and cooking from scratch. These consumers are not concerned about label claims but look for products on sale in store.

Committed Carnivores can’t imagine giving up meat, and 96% said their entire family enjoys meat. Caring little for seafood or plant-based proteins, these consumers are focused on beef, chicken and pork. Nearly three-quarters of the segment agree that it’s not a meal unless there’s meat.

The oldest of the segments, with an average of 63 years old, the Classic Palates make up 22% of the consumer base. More than half of the segment is retired, and they are traditionalists, sticking close to what they already know. Many are price-conscious, believing meat to be too expensive right now. Some will only buy meat when it is on promotion or sale.

The Classic Palates are the least likely to experiment with food. Only 1% said they would purchase a meat product because it was recommended online, and 44% said nothing would influence them to change their mind once in the store. Fifty-seven percent eat whole muscle beef at home at least once a week.

Midan noted that sustainability has become a growing topic but not all consumers consider it when purchasing meat. Only about half of consumers said they think about sustainability when making meat and poultry purchases. Connected Trendsetters are the most concerned about sustainability when shopping, with 92% thinking about it. Seventy percent of Convenience Cravers consider it, and 66% of Claim Seekers.