Total watermelon sales per pound in the US were up 1.61 per cent for the period 30 March 2008 to 29 March 2009, against the previous 52-week period, according to figures from the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB).
Personal-size watermelons showed the largest percentage increase, with sales rising roughly 9.5 per cent, the NWPB said, taking their market share to around 12 per cent, with the per-pound-price falling by a nickel to US$0.93/lb.
The whole watermelon category also showed positive growth, with sales up by around 1.5 per cent during the 2008/09 period. Market share now sits at approximately 63 per cent. Per-pound-pricing also increased slightly, going from US$0.60 to US$0.63 in the most recent term.
Lastly, fresh-cut watermelon sales saw a small decline, dropping roughly 1.5 per cent. Market share remains strong at about a quarter of the market. Some of the sales decrease may be attributed to the US$0.05 hike in price to US$1.15.
“Looking at the regional pricing can be a great way to indirectly look at supply and demand,” the NWPB explained. “For example, California had a significant drop in price for both the cut and mini categories.”
On the whole, prices rose slightly from US$0.45/lb to US$0.47/lb. California featured the least expensive whole watermelons (at US$0.47), but did have the most expensive fresh-cut offer (US$1.83) by a wide margin.
Conversely, the Great Lakes region had the most expensive whole watermelon per pound price (at US$0.84). The region saw US$0.07 and US$0.08 increases to the whole and fresh-cut categories, respectively. Mini prices fell by a nickel.
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