Acosta Unveils Grilling ‘Season’ Insights Ahead of Labor Day Weekend

Acosta’s The Why? Behind The Buy™ Report Shows 39% of Shoppers
Who Grill Do So Year-Round

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–This Labor Day, two-thirds of U.S. shopper households are likely to
grill outdoors during the long weekend. While the holiday marks the
unofficial end to summer, consumers are not putting their grills away
just yet according to a research study from Acosta
— a full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged
goods (CPG) industry — that reveals new findings about grilling
‘season.’ The findings released today from the forthcoming 12^th
edition of The Why? Behind The Buy™ provide insight into the
popularity of grilling as a year-round method of cooking, extending well
beyond the Labor Day weekend.

Acosta’s research shows 39 percent of shoppers who grill do so during
all 12 months, and 61 percent grill eight or more months each year, with
Millennial and male grillers — as well as grillers with kids — grilling
more frequently than total U.S. grillers. Grilling frequency also varied
by region, as people in the South Central and Western regions cook
outdoors the most months out of the year. Surprisingly, weather was not
a definitive indicator, as “colder” regions such as the Plains and Great
Lakes did not have the lowest usage level of grilling.

“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.”

Other findings from the 12^th edition of The Why? Behind
The Buy revealed:

• Thirty-nine percent of all U.S. shoppers used a grill for meal
  preparation in the past six months.
• The type of grill respondents used varied by region, with Northeast
  region grillers more likely to use gas, and more Mid-South and
  Southeast region grillers using charcoal.
• Significantly more grillers in the Plains and Southeast regions use
  smokers.

The 12^th edition of The Why? Behind The Buy
report was produced with research using a nationally representative
random sample of U.S. shoppers via Acosta’s proprietary ShopperF1rst™
online survey in the spring of 2015. To access past reports and
actionable solutions for brands and retailers, visit www.acosta.com/why,
where the 12^th edition will be published in mid-September.

About Acosta

Acosta
is the sales and marketing powerhouse behind most of the trusted brands
seen in stores every day. The company provides a range of outsourced
sales, marketing and retail merchandising services throughout the U.S.
and Canada. For more than 85 years, Acosta has led the industry in
helping consumer packaged goods companies move products off shelves and
into shoppers’ baskets. For more information, visit www.acosta.com.

Contacts

Vault Communications
Allie Artur, 610-455-2760
aartur@vaultcommunications.com