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German discount grocery chain Lidl launched its first private-label meat line on Monday, Butcher’s Specialty, which features a range of products, including USDA Choice Beef, antibiotic-free chicken, and other options like pork, lamb, and veal.
The company noted that its new Butcher’s Specialty brand is based on customer demand and inspired shoppers’ preferences.
"Butcher's Specialty is more than just a name – it's a promise," Lidl US Vice President of Fresh Buying Tod Seiling said in a press release. "We heard our customers' need for high-quality, low-priced meat options, and we've delivered that with our curated collection. Butcher's Specialty prioritizes freshness and superior cuts, all without shortcuts or additives."
Lidl highlighted that the “carefully chosen cuts” are just in time for backyard barbecues as the price of meat rises. The grocery chain, which operates more than 180 stores across the East Coast, described the new product line as its largest private-label launch.
The new line of meat comes at a time when meat prices are rising. A recent report by market research firm Circana shows that as of late January, overall meat prices had risen an average 3.6% to $4.45 a pound.
The report noted that despite the rising cost of meat, sales continue to rise. Beef was up 5% to $6.72 a pound; meanwhile, chicken was up 1.1% to $3.08 per pound, and pork was up 2.6% to $3.19 per pound.
Supermarket News’ most recent Price Check report on meat showed that meat price wars are heating up. A recent price check at a Jewel-Osco in Elgin, Ill., revealed price cuts on the grocer’s private-label Signature ground beef, dropping $0.50 to $8.49 a pound. Jewel’s top sirloin was also on sale for $7.99 per pound, with a regular price of $8.99.
“It is mind-boggling to see the higher sales numbers,” Chris DuBois, Circana executive vice president, perimeter practice leader, told Supermarket News in February. “Meat is becoming a more important staple across American households.”
Private-label meat is nothing new to the industry, as many grocery retailers now carry their own lines of meat products.
Kroger has its own private-label meat brands, including Private Selection, Simple Truth, and Kroger Brand. In March 2024, Kroger also launched a line of private-label seafood products under the Private Selection brand.
Lidl’s biggest competitor, Aldi, also offers a wide selection of private-label meat products, launching its Never Any! line of more than 20 meat products that are free of antibiotics, hommones, and steroids in 2016.