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It seems every doctor or scientist from Dr. Fauci on down is URGING people NOT to celebrate Thanksgiving, but based on our unscientific survey, folks don’t seem to be listening.
We called around the country to various supermarket chains … and turkey sales are pretty much the same they were last year, and in some cases, even more birds are going to have their gooses cooked.
— Star Market in Boston has sold roughly the same number of turkeys as last year. And, get this … they sold 30% more large turkeys this year, at least so far.
— Stop & Shop in New York City has sold out all of its smaller birds — we’re talking 900 turkeys. The larger turkeys are not flying off the shelves. This could be a good sign that people aren’t planning super-large gatherings.
— Wegmans in Princeton, New Jersey has also seen an increase in smaller turkeys over last year. Again, maybe a sign of smaller gatherings.
— Jewel-Osco market in Chicago is seeing the same number of turkeys sold this year as last, but small turkeys seem to be selling faster than larger ones.
— Hy-Ve market in Minneapolis again says they’re selling the same number of turkeys this year as last.
— Giant Eagle Supermarket in Pittsburgh is also seeing the same number sold this year as last.
— Kroger Fresh Fare in Dallas has seen a 20% increase in turkey sales this year as compared to last. They’ve actually sold out and are waiting for another shipment of 1,000 birds.
— Whole Foods in New Orleans is seeing the same sales this year as last.
— Publix in Atlanta has sold more turkeys — both big and small — this year compared to last.
— Ralphs in Los Angeles is seeing the same rate of turkey sales this year as last. They’re almost sold out of small turkeys but larger birds are also selling well.
— Albertsons in Kingston, Washington has seen an increase in smaller turkeys. The larger turkeys are not selling well.
— Smart & Final in Phoenix is seeing an increase in turkey sales — both big and small — over last year. They fill their shelves with 8 cases of turkeys at a time and they sell out in just 4 hours.
So, the unscientific takeaway … people are definitely celebrating Thanksgiving. What we don’t know is whether the smaller turkeys signal scaled-down Thanksgiving dinners, but the level of sales is at least the same as last year and in some cases higher.
