Line of chickens on spit

Why Are Supermarket Rotisserie Chickens Less Expensive Than Raw?

NEWS

By ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

Many people try to save money by cooking from scratch, but it turns out a fully cooked grocery store
deli rotisserie chicken is actually cheaper than a whole, fresh chicken.
By the end of 2024, at a Safeway in Portland, Oregon, a hot rotisserie chicken cost about $10. Meanwhile, a whole, raw chicken cost between $13 and $18.
The gist of this particular price difference comes from the fact
that grocery stores try to abide by printed sell-by dates, but foods are still edible and safe past these dates.
Rather than toss out perfectly good meat that’s past its sell-by date, grocery stores commonly repurpose smaller, less expensive birds into ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken.
Rotisserie chicken is often a loss leader for companies, not making money itself but luring shoppers in the door where they'll likely fill up their cart with other items.