Two-thirds of U.S. households are heating up the grill this Labor Day weekend, but new research shows nearly four in 10 consumers who grill do so year-round. Moreover, 61 percent grill eight or more months of the year, said Acosta, a sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry.
“While most people think of grilling as a summertime activity, many forget that the fall brings football season, and thus, tailgating,” said Marianne Quinlan-Sacksteder, director, Acosta. “Additionally, although our study found hamburgers and chicken are the most commonly grilled foods, shoppers are also getting creative and grilling seafood, vegetables and fruits.”
The most popular item grilled in the past six months among total U.S. grillers was hamburgers (80 percent), followed by chicken (77 percent), beef steak (66 percent), hot dogs or sausage links (66 percent) and pork (49 percent) and seafood or fish (31 percent).
Grilling frequency varies by region, as those in the South Central and Western regions cook outside the most months in a year, Acosta said. However, weather is not a definitive indicator. Colder regions, including the Plains and Great Lakes, did not report the lowest usage level of grilling. Millennials, males, and families with children grill more frequently than total U.S. grillers, according to Acosta.
