Premium chicken brand Amylu Foods is entering the final stretch of 2026 with dollar sales up 107% year over year and its retail footprint on track to reach 129,998 points of distribution by year-end, up from 87,547 in 2025 — a nearly 50% jump fueled in part by a significant Target expansion this fall. The growth figures are sourced from SPINS Satori Total US MULO data through the week ending July 12, 2026.
The Target Play
Target is expanding or newly listing 11 Amylu Foods products across its refrigerated and frozen sets in September. Eight existing items are growing their store footprint at the retailer, while three new products are launching there for the first time. Two of those three debuts lean into breakfast and grab-and-go occasions: Breakfast Time Patties — a refrigerated format making its retail premiere at Target — and Maple Breakfast Bites, offered in a new individually portioned refrigerated format. Both products are aimed squarely at consumers seeking convenient, protein-forward options outside traditional lunch and dinner windows.
"Consumers are rethinking where and how they incorporate protein throughout the day, creating opportunities well beyond traditional lunch and dinner occasions," said Ashlee Leo, VP of Marketing at Amylu Foods. "Our expansion with Target allows us to reach more households while introducing new formats that make high-quality, flavorful protein even easier to enjoy."
Category Position
Amylu holds the No. 1 dollar-growth position in the chicken sausage segment, accounting for nearly half of total segment growth in the measured period. The brand also ranks No. 1 in dollar growth within refrigerated chicken breakfast sausage and No. 2 in dollar growth across the broader breakfast sausage and meats category — a set that includes well-entrenched pork-based competitors.
That positioning matters for convenience operators watching grab-and-go foodservice trends inside the store. Protein-rich, fully cooked refrigerated items — chicken sausage patties in particular — have gained traction in c-store cold cases and commissary programs as retailers look to capture morning and all-day snacking occasions without adding back-of-house complexity. Amylu's individually portioned breakfast formats fit the dispensed and grab-and-go fixture model that many c-store foodservice programs already run.
Protein Trend Tailwind
The brand's timing aligns with a broader consumer shift toward high-protein, nutrient-dense eating. Cultural conversations around protein intake and satiety — accelerated in part by the mainstreaming of GLP-1 medications — have pushed shoppers toward foods that deliver meaningful protein per serving. Fully cooked chicken sausage, with its lower fat profile relative to pork alternatives, fits cleanly into that demand pattern. For c-store buyers evaluating cooler resets and single-serve protein SKUs, Amylu's refrigerated grab-and-go formats represent a category that NACS data has consistently flagged as an inside-sales growth driver in the better-for-you segment.
With distribution approaching 130,000 PODs and new formats launching at one of the country's largest mass retailers, Amylu Foods is building the kind of supply chain depth and brand awareness that positions it for future conversations with convenience chains and foodservice distributors.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
