First-quarter 2021 Fresh Facts trends report available from United Fresh

United Fresh Produce Association’s first-quarter 2021 issue of FreshFacts on Retail is now available.

Sponsored by Mucci Farms, this issue debuts a new horizontal layout for an enhanced digital viewing experience.

Among the findings, the issue reports that most department sales remain higher than the past two years, as rising prices drove produce dollars as consumption fell slightly. While many food and beverage categories ended Q1 with growth, it will be important to evaluate the comparison period carefully as pantry stocking created spikes throughout last year.

“More than a year later, the pandemic continues to cause significant changes in consumer behavior,” said Miriam Wolk, United Fresh’s Vice President, Member Services. “The cautionary spending environment means brands will need to be laser-focused on economically constrained consumers’ price sensitivity and channels, shifting towards value outlets.”

In addition, the report looks at broader Q1 2021 category performance data. Seasonal category deep dives feature avocados, cantaloupe, cauliflower and corn, with a year-to-year comparison of the last three years’ Q3 results to aid in planning for a successful Q3 2021. While most fruit dollars declined, berries and lemons stand out, reflecting inflationary increase. Additionally, six out of the top ten vegetable categories reported dollar growth.

Additional Q1 2021 highlights include:

• Total produce household trips to the store are up 4.6% vs a year ago
• Salad kits continue to gain in popularity, as dollar share grew +2.1 points
• Quarterly sales of organic produce eclipse $2.3 Billion
• Mixed fruit are the top selling value-added category and eight out of top 10 categories reported growth
• Shopper spend on value-added vegetables continues to grow, with 2.7% dollar contribution of value-added vegetables to total produce

As an added value, the United Fresh Retail-Foodservice Board and NielsenIQ Fresh will host a webinar to highlight key statistics and trends included in the Q1 2021 report. Moderated by Jeff Cady, Director of Produce and Floral, Tops Friendly Markets, and featuring analysis from Lyndsey Abbott-Wheeler, Vice President, West Region, Nielsen, the webinar will take place at 1 p.m. ET June 7, providing an opportunity for participants to ask questions and participate in an interactive audience discussion.

Registration for the webinar is free of charge for all United Fresh and PMA members ($100 for non-members). Registration is available at www.unitedfresh.org.

FreshFacts® on Retail can be downloaded free of charge for all United Fresh and PMA members ($50 for non-members) on the United Fresh website.

If you have questions, contact Miriam Wolk, United Fresh’s Vice President of Member Services at 202-303-3410. For questions about specific data contained in the report, contact Mike Galaburda, Client Director, NielsenIQ.