2025 should be a great year for salmon in grocery seafood departments, said Amy Dukes, head of retail marketing for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).

With over 41 million refrigerated salmon buyers across the US, salmon remains the most-consumed finfish in the country, Dukes said.

Alaska-sourced refrigerated salmon is driving larger basket sizes and outpacing the category in unit growth by both buyer and trip, reinforcing its value to retailers. And Alaska salmon dollar sales have grown 0.6% year-over-year, with an 8.2% increase in volume sales,1 signaling both steady demand and increased availability.

“This momentum, coupled with consumer preferences for high-quality, sustainable seafood, suggests a promising year ahead.”

It also appears, Dukes said, that inflation-related pressures on seafood appear to be stabilizing, with some positive signs for demand, indicated by salmon sales totaling $5.24B and volume sales up 1.1% from 2023.

Value-added growth 

Grocery continues to be a dynamic category for Trident Seafoods when it comes to salmon, said Jose Montero, senior product manager.

The company’s Redi Grill line is gaining momentum in the deli/ready to eat kit space, with growth in sales of both 2- and 4-ounce packs expected to be strong in 2025, Montero said.

Another product that performs consistently well in retail for Trident is its Trident Salmon Burgers, which won several consumer and customer tests and surveys in 2024, including the favorite product of Costco customers in Washington.

“It continues to be a strong anchor product and much loved by consumers,” Montero said.

Trident also continues to innovate in the smoked salmon space, both in product and pack sizes, he added. Healthy demand for salmon across the board gives Trident and other suppliers the faith to continue innovating.

“The market for sockeye salmon continues to be strong in the US, particularly for fresh and refresh retail,” Montero said.

Health and sustainability play a big role in that continuing strong demand, said Analise Gonzales, Trident’s specialty brands marketing director.

“Our goal is to support the sustained demand for Wild Alaska Salmon oil, driven by consumers’ interest in high-quality, sustainable, wild-caught fish oil. It reinforces our mission to deliver premium, sustainable pet and human nutrition as a trusted and reliable source.”

Trident’s commitment to sustainability extends “from fleet to fork,” said Mike Campanile, retail brand marketing director.

That includes “the way we sustainably harvest fish in the pristine waters of Alaska, through our value added processing plants and across the supply chain, all the way to customers and consumers,” he said.

Packaging refresh

In late 2024, Trident unveiled a fresh new look on product packaging encompassing all Trident-branded products sold at the retail and club store level.

The new, innovative packaging speaks to Trident’s unique story, 50-plus year history of being “Anchored in Alaska,” and steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability, according to the company.

The packaging highlights Trident’s unique brand position, while successfully catering to the consumer’s preference for quick, “at a glance” information.

“We emphasized Trident’s wild Alaskan heritage through the hand sketched Akutan mountain range and the inclusion of our first Trident boat, the Billikin,” said Jeff Welbourn, president of Trident USA. “The artistic touches featured throughout the new packaging honor the company’s founder, Chuck Bundrant, and pay tribute to the fleet of fishermen who harvest our sustainable, wild caught Alaska seafood.”

Trident’s commitment to sustainably caught, wild Alaska seafood is certified by the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) logo, proudly featured on the front of all new packaging. Other additions to the updated packaging include a more modern design, minimalist product-forward photography, expanded “How to Use” section complete with air fryer instructions, and a QR code connecting consumers to detailed product information.

“For more than 50 years, Trident Seafoods has harvested superior wild-caught seafood from the pristine waters of Alaska,” Welbourn said “The company’s story is one of passion, grit, and determination, as well as showing care for the communities and waters where we catch and process our fish. It’s important we look for unique ways to tell that story, because it’s one that truly resonates with consumers.”

Now trending 

On the innovation front, ASMI is tracking several trends in salmon, particularly in frozen and pre-marinated seafood.

Lemon Herb and Teriyaki are the top-preferred marinades for frozen fish, highlighting demand for convenient, ready-to-cook options, Dukes said.

Younger consumers (ages 25-39) are a key target for frozen fish, as they prioritize quick, easy, and healthy meals, making value-added salmon products like salmon burgers a potential area of growth.

“Value-added salmon products, particularly in prepared and grab-and-go formats, are becoming a bigger part of the retail seafood business” she said. “Sushi has the highest purchase likelihood at deli/prepared foods counters at 91%, signaling strong demand.”

Within the sushi category, “wild/wild-caught” is the top motivating claim, followed by “sourced in the USA” — both of which apply to seafood shipped from Alaska.

Additionally, “Alaska-sourced” claims increase purchase likelihood, with 38% of consumers more likely to buy and 41% equally likely to buy. And more consumers purchase sushi from grocery stores than from restaurants, reinforcing the importance of value-added seafood in retail.

Alaska’s wild-caught salmon represents nearly 99% of the U.S. supply and over 60% of the global wild-caught salmon market, making it both a popular and sustainable choice, Dukes said. All salmon harvested from Alaska is wild and sustainably caught, with the state being the only one in the U.S. to enshrine sustainability in its constitution.