High meat prices stall sales as shoppers reject costly cuts

Meat sits unsold: shoppers refuse to pay premium prices

A recurring scene in supermarket aisles involves meat products left untouched for days, trays losing tonalidad, and counters where steaks are replaced by burgers. The prevailing diagnosis is that high prices have broken demand. When beef, lamb, or fresh fish exceeds €15 per kilo, customers hesitate and move on.

The impact goes beyond aesthetics. Unsold stock is repurposed into ground meat, meatballs, breaded items, and so-called aged meat. The product remains in circulation but changes form and price point. Margins are recovered through smaller portions: 400 grams of frozen prepared food at €6.95 seems cheaper than a kilo of veal at €16.

The psychological barrier of €15 per kilo

Consensus points to a psychological threshold. Anything above €15 per kilo feels expensive, forcing fresh produce to compete with empty fridges. This barrier has risen without corresponding wage increases.

Specific examples illustrate the trend: salmon once bought near €20/kg, sirloin now appearing at €30, Iberian loin around €20+, and chicken breast starting at €7/kg as the budget option. Ground beef for burgers hovers around €13. Consequently, a couple's weekly shopping cart costs €60–€70 per visit, with some estimating €400 monthly for food and household items.

Breaking down daily expenses reveals discrepancies. One estimate suggests €6 per adult per day. Another challenges this with real shopping lists: sardines, rice with eggs, mackerel with potatoes, lentils, salads, spaghetti with meat. Eating on €2 is possible, though not necessarily appealing.

What happens to unsold meat?

Observations mix with suspicion. Some chains display pallets of meat discounted 50% due to approaching expiration dates, while fishmongers remove trays with 30% discounts that still go unsold. Unverified rumors suggest such products end up in processed meats before disposal. Butchers reportedly waste nothing.

Labeling practices also draw scrutiny. Aged meat is marketed as premium, yet some argue the term helps sell cuts that otherwise wouldn't move. While unverified, this perspective reflects customer skepticism. The clear shift is toward more processed items and fewer whole cuts.

Chicken, fish, and eggs: rising costs spread

Price hikes extend beyond beef. Chicken breast serves as an affordable indicator of basket inflation, while fresh fish quality allegedly declines as prices rise. Cheapest egg dozens exceed €2.60 except in specific chains, linked to animal welfare farm costs.

Macroeconomic views dominate discussions: inflation acts as a silent tax, money supply expands, and wages lag behind. The uncomfortable conclusion: raising minimum wages fails if veal prices climb faster.

Local butcher shops as havens

Against supermarket shelves, traditional counters offer transparency: visible whole cuts, custom slicing, known origins. Prices aren't significantly different from supermarkets, but buyers gain control. Supermarket trays hide surprises; a twenty-kilo veal carcass does not.

Given these factors, the question isn't whether meat prices will drop, but how long full shelves of ignored products last before someone realizes the issue might not be the shopper.