Photo By Monticellllo MANAGING GIVEAWAY IN CASE-READY MEAT SALES Multiple forces are driving increased demand for pre-packaged portioned beef and pork at grocery stores. Labor challenges and soaring meat prices top the list. In a survey among retailers conducted by 210 Analytics, 91% of grocery retailers cited having trouble filling meat department openings or having enough labor to cover all available labor hours. It's not surprising then that caseready meats continue to grow. Despite 77% of consumers having access to a full-service counter, shoppers surveyed estimated that 75% of purchases are made at the self-serve meat case.* " A lot of the grocery formats that are growing don't have a full-service counter, " says AnneMarie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics. " The whole idea of speeding through a store and grabbing what you want is the reason case-ready meats are doing so well. " In addition, more grocery retailers are reducing the number of staffed checkout lanes. " The easier the package scans, the