We are experiencing some temporary issues. The market data on this page is currently delayed. Please bear with us as we address this and restore your personalized lists.
Talking turkey: Retailers discuss outlook for holiday sales
Robert Tomkavage, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
5 min read
Craig Pallman feels fortunate a multigenerational customer base keeps sales steady each Thanksgiving at his family’s farm in South Abington Twp.
“There are a lot of recurring, repeat customers so it’s pretty consistent from year to year which is a wonderful thing as long as we keep doing our job and they keep coming back,” said Pallman, a partner with Pallman Farms. “The demand is right where it should be.”
Pallman only recalled two instances in which the business saw a “real noticeable change” – the COVID year (2020) and two years ago when the avian influenza decimated the turkey supply across the country.
*
Turkeys occupy a shed at Pallman Farms in Clarks Summit Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
*
A view of Pallman Farms in Clarks Summit Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
*
Turkeys occupy a shed at Pallman Farms in Clarks Summit Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Show Caption
1 of 3
Turkeys occupy a shed at Pallman Farms in Clarks Summit Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Expand
“It was just unbelievable because the industry itself had been rocked from its foundation,” he said of the avian flu outbreak. “But in a normal year, and I don’t even know if there’s such a thing anymore, the business is pretty consistent. I’d say we’re trending in the right direction and we’ll probably sell out.”
Rising costs have placed an added burden on both business owners and their customers, Pallman noted.
“The inputs are extremely high – labor is probably the biggest one and the feed is probably the second biggest,” he said. “Even the packaging supplies and anything janitorial to adhere to our food safety compliance, all that stuff is up, but it is for everybody. It doesn’t matter whether it’s at the personal household level or an operating business level, everybody is paying more for everything. That’s been a tough one to try to swallow and there is only so far you can push the consumer with trying to pass all this on before you step off the ledge and lose them. It’s a fine line.”
Recognizing that factor, Pallman kept the prices the same as last year.
“I think we’re right there with anybody at our level of production, which tells me we’re all dealing with the same inputs and trying to offset them,” he said. “The frozen market is significantly cheaper, and it always is, but we don’t compete against it.”
Pallman thinks the fresh turkey taste leads customers to his farm.
“It’s not that a frozen turkey is horrible, but there is a difference,” he said. “It’s a combination of the juiciness of it and the consistency of the meat. The finished product is completely different.”
Pallman anticipates selling about 9,000 turkeys and a couple thousand capons – a smaller version of a large roasting chicken this year.
“My business is built on customer satisfaction and giving them something they can’t get in a grocery store,” he said.
Pallman hopes a bigger partnership with Moscow-based Sam’s Butcher Shop provides an added boost this Thanksgiving season.
“Sam has always been a customer at the wholesale level, and the last couple years he’d have customers ask if he could smoke them a turkey for Thanksgiving,” Pallman said. “I’m just trying to get my turkeys in a local customer’s hands, whether they want to oven roast it themselves or they want it smoked is up to them. We set it up in a way that we’re co-merchandising the product, but he’s doing the smoking and handling the transactions, and I’m providing him with the fresh turkeys.”
Several grocery store chains introduced promotions to make the holiday more affordable for families.
Giant, which has locations in Dickson City, Scranton and Hazleton, announced a value meal complete with turkey and sides for six people for under $20 by using rewards points earned at the stores.
Through Nov. 28, GIANT Choice Rewards members may redeem 400 choice points for a free frozen turkey. The stores will also offer popular side dishes like stuffing, vegetables and sweet potatoes as extended bonus buys throughout Thanksgiving to help customers save money, the company announced.
“Our customers count on us to help them provide the best meals at the best value for their families and friends throughout the year, and Thanksgiving is no exception,” John MacDonald, vice president of marketing for The GIANT Co., said in a news release.
Koch Turkey Farms in Walker Twp., Schuylkill County – a staple in the community for more than 70 years, raises its turkeys without antibiotics while feeding an all vegetarian diet consisting of corn, soybeans, vitamins and minerals.
The farm also raises several different turkey breeds to give customers options at several weight ranges. A smaller breed turkey is used for our 8 lb. to 12 lb. hen birds while the male is used for our 22 lb. to 30 lb. birds. They also grow a Heirloom Bronze turkey that is free ranged and has great taste, less fat and superior meat yields, officials said.
Market 32/Price Chopper, which has locations in Dunmore, Edwardsville, Wilkes-Barre Twp. and Wyoming, announced a promotion allowing customers to double, tripl, or quadruple points earned on almost every purchase through Dec. 24.
Customers may earn and convert points into savings and redeem them on items including a free turkey, sides, desserts, or even the whole meal, store officials said.
“So many cherished holiday moments are enjoyed around the dinner table,” Blaine Bringhurst, president of Market 32/Price Chopper, said in a news release. “Our goal is to help make every gathering affordable, uniquely delicious and special enough to create lasting memories.”
Pallman believes the yearly holiday tradition somewhat protects his business from inflationary pressures.
“One of our biggest pushes is the fact that it’s the centerpiece of the table,” he said. “It’s like a Christmas tree – people know they’re buying one a year. But in today’s day and age, sometimes those decisions are hard to make within the household. A large percentage of our population is struggling to make ends meet, but I still believe in this one instance they do their best to try to make it happen because they look forward to that one meal all year.”