Lack of ham this Easter

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jamcool
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Lack of ham this Easter

Post by jamcool »

I’ve noticed this year there seems to be fewer hams and very few deals on ham this Easter. Here in Phoenix none of the chains are selling Cure-81 hams, just their private brands and smaller brands like Springdale. Even Fry’s isn’t stocking the larger Private Selection hams. Is there a ham shortage we don’t know about?
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by mjhale »

The largest Supercenter in my area has a long three section refrigerated case. Usually around this time all three sections are filled with hams. This year only one section of three. I'm thinking that with the various coronovirus restrictions and vaccinations still ongoing people are thinking of sitting out the traditional Easter dinner for another year. That means less hams are needed. I was also thinking that Walmart might have to clearance out their Easter candy and such too. Said Walmart still has a pretty full aisle of this stuff especially the bagged chocolates and other candy.
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by storewanderer »

I too am noticing most stores have a lot of Easter product left. Last year Easter was a complete bust (well, it was a boom for me when it went 90% off and there was still a ton left) and I expected stores this year to scale back their orders. But based on timing, maybe that didn't happen in all cases. I will say Walgreens and Rite Aid absolutely significantly scaled back their Easter orders this year. But Wal Mart and the grocers do not appear to have.
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by buckguy »

Stores seemed to cut back on Valentine's Day candy this year, but not Easter. OTOH, the Easter stuff already is being marked down at CVS (which usually does this only with the cheap stuff) and at supermarkets---even Whole Foods.
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by SamSpade »

A store I drove by the other day was advertising its price for corned beef, so perhaps the holidays are still kind of low key for now.
:?:
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by storewanderer »

SamSpade wrote: March 31st, 2021, 8:31 pm A store I drove by the other day was advertising its price for corned beef, so perhaps the holidays are still kind of low key for now.
:?:
Lots of corned beef left around here. Funny, last year, bought 3 Corned Beef at a real good price and kept them in the refrigerator just cooking them every couple weeks since the expirations were out to late April or early May. Ended up so tired of it last year, didn't even want any this year so didn't purchase.

Was in Smiths this week, did not see any hams. I saw some hams at Raleys which seemed to be quite a few varieties. WinCo had some hams but it was just one side of a cooler, less than usual, back in meat area only (not up front in the wall of value cooler).

Smiths did have a big display of frozen turkey.
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by BillyGr »

Seemed to be plenty in ShopRite here (didn't look in other stores), but that's likely since they do a promotion where you get the ham (or turkey or several other items) free if you spend a set amount ($250 for the Albany area, $400 most other places) over a multi-week period prior to Easter (and Thanksgiving).

Of all the items, the hams are the easiest since they come refrigerated (not frozen), so if you aren't having a large group, you can just take it home and cut it up into various pieces and freeze them for separate meals in the future (unlike a frozen turkey you'd have to thaw and cook first to do that splitting).
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by CalItalian »

From my perspective, there is an OVERSUPPLY of hams. On Easter Sunday, I was in Ralphs, Vons and Aldi. All had a nearly full stock of hams which I would never see in a normal year. Not even last year. Target has a Target Circle app coupon for 50% off their Market Pantry spiral sliced hams (this particular coupon valid for in-store purchases only) which was posted yesterday. Based on the Super Target in Menifee, CA and Murrieta, CA that I saw on Saturday, it's going to take weeks to get rid of these hams.

Ralphs featured ham this year, as always, was Farmer John. A fully half ham for .99 per pound.
Vons & Albertsons featured a Just For U coupon price of .79 per pound for a Cook's ham (both Farmer John and Cook's are Smithfield owned) in the week leading up to Easter week specials.
Stater Bros. featured a Smithfield Half Ham for .99 lb.
I purchased an Appleton Farms (their own) spiral sliced half ham from Aldi for .95 lb. Their butt and shank hams were .69 lb.
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by storewanderer »

Grocery stores did not seem very busy in the days leading up to Easter. Wal Mart and Target on the other hand were absolutely packed. Wal Mart has sold out of over 90% of its Easter in the locations I went into last night, and I am shocked because they had a ton left even a week ago. Also noticed more crowds at Walgreens and CVS than usual... again very little Easter left in the locations I went into yesterday (they had little to start with but still impressive how much they moved). I was in a Rite Aid on Thursday which had an Easter set that probably would have looked sad in a 7-Eleven it had so little product and that was already mostly gone on Thursday.

Wal Mart still had a large aisle-length half coffin plus one endcap full of hams last night at one location I went into. Not sure where the hams are kept in the other location I went to, I didn't notice them. Raleys still has quite a few hams. Smiths didn't have many hams to begin with.
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Re: Lack of ham this Easter

Post by klkla »

The good thing about ham is they have a lot preservatives and a long shelf life. There’s not as much risk as stocking up on fresh cut meat

The Ralph’s near me stocked up on whole rib beef roasts which evidently didn’t sell well because they’re still there but now ‘seasoned’ to camouflage the change in color.
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