Grocery unit sales slide in August, but frozen foods and shelf-stable seafood buck trend

[Viable Food News Desk]

Publisher: Supermarket News
Published: September 16, 2026
Source: Read at Supermarket News
Category: Food Access

Food and beverage unit sales fell 2.1% during the five weeks ended Aug. 30, according to Circana data compiled by 210 Analytics. Retail food and beverage prices were 1.9% higher in August, even as shoppers bought fewer units. Produce units declined 6.7% and bakery units fell 4.3%, while frozen foods increased 0.2%. Shelf-stable seafood units rose 5.1%, but fresh seafood units declined 1.9%.

Why this matters: Independent grocers may see revenue supported by higher prices while unit demand weakens. The category differences point to areas such as frozen foods and shelf-stable seafood that may perform differently from produce and bakery.

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