Hot Dog Sales Sizzle As Makers Embroiled In Suit

EMILY FREDRIX

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Hot dog sales are set to sizzle as people look for ways to eat on the cheap and the summer grilling season starts. But the scramble to be top dog in the $2.1 billion market has sent the makers of Ball Park franks and Oscar Mayer wieners to court.

The lawsuit focused on advertising and product claims filed this week by Sara Lee Corp., the maker of Ball Park Franks, against Oscar Mayer-making rival Kraft Foods Inc. is the latest turn in the summer wiener wars.

The stakes are big as the peak season for franks begins this weekend. Hot dog sales are expected to rise as consumers keep turning to the cheaper meat, said Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council. But the competition is getting particularly tough as shoppers, looking to save even more money, are trading down to store brands.

"Sales do go up in the summer, always. And in a tight economy I do expect that we're going to see even better performance," said Riley, known as the "Queen of Wien." She said Americans gravitate to hot dogs in tough times. And in summer particularly, with 38 percent of hot dog sales each year occurring between Memorial Day and Labor Day.