Families Buying Smaller Turkeys As Thanksgiving Feasts Shrink

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – 2020 is not the year of the large turkey.

For the first time in recent history, shoppers are not looking for the largest turkey they can find. It’s the latest impact of COVID-19.

Due to recommendations by leaders across the country, Americans are planning smaller gatherings, which means smaller turkeys.

Chuck Ranin is one of those people.

“It’s a little more intimate,” he said. “It’s just me and my kids and my wife. No family.”

Ranin’s son is high risk – a cancer survivor with a heart condition. Making the switch makes sense, but it’s still an adjustment. He has a large family.

“My mom’s side alone, I have like 15 aunties,” Ranin said.

At Harmon’s Grocery, smaller turkeys are in big demand.

“We’re just blowing through them like crazy,” said Todd Jensen, Harmons EVP of sales.

When the smaller birds are gone, they’re gone.

“All of the smaller birds are what’s been moving off the shelves quicker and the larger ones are the ones we have left. And that’s a complete flip of what you normally see,” Jensen said.