United report shows fresh produce volume steady

United Fresh Produce Association released the third quarter 2014 edition of the FreshFacts on Retail report, which examines overall retail trends in produce. The report shows that, during this quarter, fruit and vegetable volume remained steady compared to the previous year, while dollar sales increased slightly due to a small increase in average retail price.

The FreshFacts on Retail report, produced in partnership with the Nielsen Perishables Group and sponsored by Del Monte Fresh Produce, 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.

Highlights of this quarter’s report include:

• Cherries posted the highest growth in the fruit category, with dollar sales increasing 16.9 percent and volume increasing 36.7 percent
• Packaged salad posted the highest growth in the vegetable category, with increased dollar sales 9.1 percent and volume increasing 6.8 percent
• Value-added fruits posted average weekly dollar and volume sales growth of 10.5 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively
• Average weekly dollar and volume sales for snacking vegetables both increased by double digits  compared to Q3 2013
• Shoppers continued to seek out organic produce, resulting in significant dollar and volume sales increases for organic fruits and vegetables

This quarter’s FreshFacts report also features a spotlight on consumer demand of value-added convenience produce items. Multiple convenience items experienced double-digit growth, including fresh-cut fruits, mixed melons, snacking vegetables and value-added vegetable side dishes.

The complete FreshFacts on Retail report can be downloaded free of charge for all United Fresh members ($50 for non-members). For more information about how to obtain the report, contact Miriam Wolk, United Fresh vice president, member services, at 202-303-3410 or [email protected]. For questions about specific data contained in the report, contact Cara Ammon at Nielsen Perishables Group at 773-769-3550.