210 Analytics: December grocery spending was the most subdued it has been since the onset of the pandemic.

The November sales build was different this year, with COVID-19 prompting earlier Thanksgiving shopping.

Holiday or everyday, 2020 has been a year like no other.

Meat department sales during the week ending October 4 through November 1 increased 11.8% in dollars and 5.5% in volume versus year ago.

Anxiety levels over in-store visits have decreased significantly, with 58% of shoppers feeling relaxed.

For the week ending September 6, dollars gained 18.2% over year ago levels during one of the biggest grilling weekends of the summer.

The last full week of August saw the smallest increases since the start of the pandemic across virtually all departments.

The meat department has ruled the fresh perimeter since the onset of the pandemic.

Economic pressure is being compounded by the delay over the extension of unemployment benefits and uncertainty over a second round of stimulus payments.

As COVID-19 concerns increase, meat department dollar sales increased 22.2% versus year ago.