The volume of fruit and vegetables sold at retail in the US remained flat during the third quarter of 2014 compared to the previous year according to the United Fresh Produce Association’s newly published FreshFacts on Retail report. It reveals that dollar sales for the same period increased slightly due to a small rise in average retail price.
The report, produced in partnership with the Nielsen Perishables Group and sponsored by Del Monte Fresh Produce, shows that cherries posted the highest growth in the fruit category, with dollar sales increasing 16.9 per cent and volume increasing 36.7 per cent. In the vegetable category, packaged salads posted the highest growth, rising by 9.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent in value and volume.
Value-added fruits posted average weekly dollar and volume sales growth of 10.5 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively, while average weekly dollar and volume sales for snacking vegetables both increased by double digits compared to the year-earlier period.
The report also showed that shoppers continued to seek out organic produce, resulting in significant dollar and volume sales increases for organic fruits and vegetables.
The report measures retail price and sales trends for the top 10 fruit and vegetable commodities, as well as value-added, organic and other produce categories. The report also features a more detailed look at the berries, citrus and packaged salad categories, as well as produce in the deli.
This quarter’s FreshFacts report also features a spotlight on consumer demand of value-added convenience produce items. It shows that multiple convenience items experienced double-digit growth, including fresh-cut fruits, mixed melons, snacking vegetables and value-added vegetable side dishes.
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