Is the butcher shop on the chopping block?

So is the butcher shop like the video store and facing the chopping block?

Well according to the recent research done by Roy Morgan Research there is good news – and bad news for the Butchers.

According to the research only 23.5 percent of those shopping buy meat from a butcher, but the good news is that these people are spending the most on meat – with an spend of $37 per week on average.

The two big supermarket chains account for 49.6 percent of meat sales between them, but only have a weekly spend of $26 on average.

The big winner in the meat game is Aldi with 7.6% of the sales but $22 on the weekly spend. It is the only supermarket chain to have an increase in sales since 2013.

Less Australians may be shopping at butcher shops but according to Roy Morgan Research those who do spend the most money on meat each week.

 Andrew Price, Consumer Products General Manager at Roy Morgan Research, said; “At the moment, despite their shrinking customer base, butchers are retaining a decent share of the overall fresh-meat market due to the above-average amount spent by those grocery buyers who continue to shop with them.”

There has been a reduction of about five percent in Australian purchasing meat each week since 2013, with purchases going from 75.6 to 70.7 percent.

So it seems that even though less people are buying meat at butcher shops, because these businesses are meeting the special needs of their customers, the future still looks good for them.