Hams tied up in a price sensitivity web

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/2-3.

No big restructuring this year

Péter Fejes
group brand manager
(PICK)
Bonafarm

“Sales of PICK products produced double-digit growth after a decline in 2023, but volumes didn’t reach the previous year’s level in 2024”, informs Péter Fejes, brand manager of Bonafarm Zrt. In 2024 there was no significant increase in Easter ham prices compared to the previous year.

Zsuzsa Takácsné Rácz
sales director
Pápai Hús

“Unfortunately, the same price level won’t be maintained in 2025, as costs (fuel, wages, euro exchange rate, etc.) have increased significantly”, says sales director Zsuzsa Takácsné Rácz.

Zita Kelecsényi
trade marketing
specialist
KOMETA 99

 Zita Kelecsényi, trade marketing specialist of KOMETA 99 Zrt. points out that the category of private label products has continued to strengthen in recent years: according to NIQ data, their share in the ham category is now almost 60%. “Several surveys have shown that consumers are increasingly open to trying new brands and products if they are cheaper”, adds Zita Kelecsényi.

Smaller size, greater interest

Beáta Bukovenszki
head of domestic sales
Gallicoop

Beáta Bukovenszki, head of domestic sales at Gallicoop Zrt. says the main lesson learned in 2024 is that consumer preferences are increasingly turning towards quality and high meat content, while the low price category remains important owing to increased price sensitivity.

“Promotional periods play a prominent role in sales, as the sales of advertised products often double in these periods”, informs Beáta Bukovenszki.

Darnó-Hús has observed that consumers are increasingly interested in pre-packaged, smaller-sized products, which offer a practical and waste-free solution. Péter Kovács, key account manager of Funkció Kft. (Darnó-Hús):

“We expect that the demand for traditional hams will remain outstanding in 2025, especially for smaller, more affordable hams”.

Easy-to-use, boneless, formed products remain the most popular

Tamás Pozsgai
sales manager
Bogád-Hús

At Bogád-Hús Kft. they feel there is a strong consumer demand for traditionally cured, smoked, higher-quality Easter products.

“I believe 2025 will be similar to last year in terms of volume sales. Our company is trying to offer a wide range of sizes: we are present in shops with Bogádi Szívsonka ham in 500-600g, 800g, 1.5kg, 3kg and 6kg sizes”, reports sales manager Tamás Pozsgai.

Success in a gift box

PICK’s favourite products are those in the PICK Békebeli range, made with dry curing and traditional beech wood smoking, especially the Békebeli tied shoulder and thin flank. The priority for the 2025 season is to strengthen the Easter meat offering: the selection of shoulder, thin flank, loin and chop. Pápai Hús was 111 years old last year and to celebrate the occasion, the packaging of ham products was revamped and three new high-quality sliced hams, matured for 111 days, were added to the portfolio. The most successful of the three flavours is the ham aged in Tokaji Szamorodni wine, which will be available in a gift box of approximately 600g size this Easter.

Auchan expects sales growth