When Did Walmart Stop Selling Live Lobster? A Look at the Retailer’s Decision

Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, made waves in the seafood industry when it announced it would stop selling live lobster in its stores. This decision sparked a lot of questions and debate among seafood lovers, animal rights activists, and those in the lobster fishing business. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at when and why Walmart discontinued live lobster sales.

A Brief History of Walmart’s Live Lobster Sales

Walmart has sold live lobster in select store locations for over 20 years The live lobster tanks were especially common in stores located in lobster-fishing regions like the Northeast For some stores, live lobster was a big draw to get seafood lovers in the door. According to sources, live lobster could account for up to 30% of total seafood sales for individual store locations.

However over time the demand for live lobster declined. Market trends showed decreasing interest in live seafood among grocery shoppers. In addition, maintaining live seafood tanks proved challenging for Walmart. Keeping the tanks properly cared for required specialized staff training and diligent monitoring of water quality – difficult tasks for busy Walmart employees.

When Exactly Did Walmart Stop Selling Live Lobster?

Walmart announced its decision to discontinue live lobster sales in January 2019. However, the phase-out took place gradually over the next two years. Some locations kept their lobster tanks operating through late 2020 due to local demand. But by October 2021, all remaining live lobster tanks had been removed from Walmart stores.

The lengthy transition period allowed stores to sell through existing lobster inventory and give customers time to find new sources for live lobster. For stores that relied heavily on lobster sales, eliminating the popular product from the seafood department was an adjustment.

Why Did Walmart Stop Selling Live Lobster?

There were a few key factors that influenced Walmart’s choice to give up the live lobster business:

• Lack of consumer demand – As mentioned earlier, market trends showed decreasing consumer interest in purchasing live lobster and other live seafood from grocery stores. Walmart had to adapt to keep up with changing consumer preferences.

• High maintenance – Keeping live lobster tanks fully-stocked, clean, and safe for the lobsters required extra staff, training, and monitoring from store teams. This put an additional strain on Walmart’s staff resources.

• Animal welfare concerns – Some animal rights groups, like PETA, began calling on grocery retailers to stop selling live lobster. They argued that storing lobsters in tanks is inhumane. This may have motivated Walmart to ditch live sales to avoid conflict over animal welfare issues.

• Food safety risks – Selling live seafood does come with some extra food safety considerations compared to frozen and prepared options. Discontinuing live lobster reduced Walmart’s risk exposure in this area.

How Did This Decision Impact the Lobster Industry?

For Maine and Massachusetts, where lobster fishing is a vital part of the local economy, losing Walmart as a buyer was a big blow. Some lobster wholesalers that supplied Walmart for many years had to scramble to replace the business. Experts estimated Walmart purchased $14 million worth of live lobster annually from the New England lobster fishery.

However, other retailers quickly stepped in to fill the gap left by Walmart’s exit. Large national chains like Kroger and regional grocery stores absorbed extra supply to meet lobster demand. Specialty fish markets also reported an uptick in live lobster sales after Walmart bowed out. So fortunately, the industry was able to adapt.

In some ways, Walmart discontinuing live lobster sales created opportunities for Maine lobster fishing businesses to diversify their customer base. Relying too heavily on just one or two huge buyers left wholesalers vulnerable. Expanding to supply a wider variety of retailers and fish markets made the industry more resilient.

Where Can Consumers Buy Live Lobster Now?

Seafood aficionados who want the experience of hand-selecting a live lobster still have plenty of options:

• Local fish markets – Visiting a local independent fish market is a great choice. You’ll often find extremely fresh live lobster sourced right from your area. Staff can give cooking advice too.

• Restaurant tanks – Many high-end seafood restaurants keep live lobster tanks. Choose your lobster and have it prepared tableside for ultimate freshness.

• Direct from lobster docks – In New England, you can buy freshly-caught lobsters right off the fishing boats at local lobster docks. It doesn’t get any fresher!

• Online seafood delivery – Websites like LobsterAnywhere.com ship live lobsters overnight right to your door. Prices are comparable to high-end grocers.

• Specialty/ethnic grocery stores – Asian and Italian markets sometimes stock live lobster. Check your area for specialty stores with tanks.

While live lobster enjoyment may require an extra stop or online order now, there are still ample opportunities for determined lobster fans. Walmart removing live lobster just reopened the door for small businesses to attract more lobster buyers.

The Future of Live Lobster Sales

It’s unclear if other major retailers will follow Walmart’s lead and exit the live lobster market. As consumer preferences evolve, stores have to stay nimble and adjust their offerings. But for now, chains like Kroger, Hy-Vee, and Wegmans still operate live lobster tanks in select locations.

Live seafood does come with extra challenges and costs compared to frozen and prepared options. But sustainably-caught fresh lobster remains a beloved delicacy that many customers want access to. As long as consumer demand exists, niche lobster sellers and innovative retailers will likely find ways to make live sales work profitably.

In the future, we may see technology innovations that improve live lobster welfare during storage and transportation. For instance, some companies are developing monitoring systems that track and automatically adjust tank conditions. Adopting new tech like this could make selling live lobster less labor-intensive.

No matter what the future holds, the rich tradition of savoring just-caught lobster will certainly continue. Lobstermen will still haul in their traps at dawn off the Atlantic coast. And lobster fans will cherish every bite of these incredible crustaceans just as much. Walmart’s absence won’t change how much America loves its lobster!