Young shoppers fuel chicken demand surge
Source: WATT Global Media
Fresh chicken demand has risen sharply over the past three years, with Generation Z and younger millennial shoppers emerging as the primary drivers of that growth, according to data presented by Erkin Peksoz, protein practice principal at Circana, at the 2026 Chicken Marketing Summit, held July 27-29 at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida.
Chicken volume climbs despite flat pricing
Chicken volume rose by about 750 million pounds annually even as its retail price stayed largely flat, moving from roughly $3.09 to $3.10 per pound over 14 quarters despite cumulative inflation of 7% to 10% in that period, Peksoz said.
"If you compare Q2 '23 to Q2 '26, there's 160-plus million pounds of chicken per quarter consumed," he said. "This does not include restaurants and foodservice. This is just what they purchase from the grocery store."
Across all three major fresh proteins — chicken, beef and pork — total consumption grew by 1.4 billion pounds over three years, or roughly 4.3 pounds per person.
"This is not a fad. This is not a coincidence. This is not a blip," Peksoz said. "It's a protein phase, and we are still in it."
Younger generations lead the surge
Circana's household panel data showed that among dollar-per-buyer spending on chicken, Generation Z and younger millennials posted the highest figures of any generational cohort, a pattern Peksoz said reinforces broader survey findings on generational behavior.
"There's something connecting to younger folks," he said. "Definitely, there's an indication that they are fueling this protein craze more than the average."