2020 Category Guide: Fresh departments a mixed bag for grocery retailers

Since the onset of the coronavirus in the U.S., sales results for supermarket fresh departments have been decidedly mixed. While meat and dairy have emerged as sales leaders, the limited service/assortment and/or shutting down of bakery and deli counters across many stores have had severely negative impact on sales in areas like deli-prepared food, made-to-order cakes and other fresh food items.