Summer is the season for outdoor grilling, festivities, and gathering with friends and family. People are excited to satisfy their cravings for some bright and light dishes for entertaining that have been on hold due to the ongoing two-year-long pandemic.

Now that most social restrictions have been lifted and people are planning to gather for some celebration and entertainment, let’s look at some of the popular food products that are sure to be in demand in the next few months.

Ingredients for charcuterie boards

If you think charcuterie boards have reached a saturation point, you might be wrong. People are becoming more creative and experimental when it comes to their charcuterie boards for entertaining. People are tossing in treats, such as cured and specialty meats, plant-based cheeses, and chocolate-coated fresh fruits on their charcuterie boards, supplementing the rise in demand for these food ingredients and momentum in the marketplace. Since there are so many possible variations people can come up with for charcuterie boards, it has a great potential to be the main appetizer at every party and not just a fad.

Meats for hot grilling

For summer, an outdoor party is where it’s at. What better way to entertain friends this season than over a hot grill, right? It is expected that sales of meat will rise in the coming months as people are eager to gather for some outdoor grilling and celebration. Likewise, since bread and grilled meats are a perfect combination, the bread will also be on consumers’ grocery lists this season.

Beer and other beverages

To top it all off, every celebration needs some alcoholic beverages and beer. There’s nothing quite like a cold beer to quench that thirst in the hot summer months. That is why beer and other cold beverages will be a hit this season. Beers that will be popular among consumers this summer season are fruit-flavored beers, spring beers, and beers that are better for you or have health benefits.

What’s in it for grocers? … It’s time to elevate merchandising strategies

With seasonal food products expected to be in demand, it’s high time for grocers to elevate merchandising strategies to attract a bigger customer base. For instance, grocers can highlight cured meats and cheeses for charcuterie boards in premium glass display cases that are aesthetically appealing and eye-catching to customers. Likewise, grocers can cross-merchandise by placing and displaying bread alongside meats for hot grilling in the fresh meat department. For beverages, grocers can get a portion of the customer dollar spent by merchandising new beverage varieties that offer options to a wide range of demographic drinkers.

Summer is looking bright for the food retail industry. The anticipated gatherings in the next few months and the feasts and food experience that come with them, signal a positive outlook for grocers of all sizes. This means that we are slowly on the way to recovery, and we can only hope that it’s all upward from here.