April 2, 2026 — Seafood sales volume continued to slow during the key Lenten season, according to new retail seafood and grocery purchasing data, with retailers now looking toward Easter.
Americans’ concerns over high gas prices and grocery inflation are reflected in lower retail volumes during Lent, Circana Senior Vice President and Perimeter Practice Leader Chris DuBois told SeafoodSource.
March 16, 2026 — The smell of fried cod wafts into the parking lot of the German Family Society, just outside of Akron, Ohio. Just 15 minutes after doors opened, there are easily 200 butts in seats, and the line for fried cod, German potatoes, and coleslaw stretches to the door.
Fish fries happen this time of year because Christians who observe Lent eat fish on Fridays instead of meat. But for some of this crowd, religion has nothing to do with it.
“We love the fact that fish is available for that month or five weeks,” said David Matrone.
He and his wife, Kristy Rivera, aren’t religious. But they heard about this fish fry from a friend and decided to try it out.
”We just love the demeanor here. It’s just warm and very welcoming. So we came back. This is our second year,” she said.
The price they paid for dinner helps fund uniforms and travel for youth dance groups. So there are children wearing aprons, serving up food and cleaning tables.
May 14, 2024 — Fresh and frozen seafood prices continued to drop at U.S. retail stores in April, but seafood sales as a whole declined across the country, partly due to an earlier Easter holiday that took place 31 March.
Frozen seafood prices declined 4.3 percent to USD 7.29 (EUR 6.75) per pound on average during the month compared to April 2023, according to data from research firm Circana, analyzed by Lakeland, Florida, U.S.A.-based 210 Analytics.