National Retail Report - Feb. 1

Here is the summary graph of the Feb. 1 National Retail Report from the USDA. It is as we expected; avocados dominate produce ads and tomorrow, the Patriots will roll in the Super Bowl.


Super Bowl Dominates Ads

Nearly every retailer in the nation offered Super Bowl themed ads. Most of these centered on meat items, particularly chicken wings, snack items, and party platters. In the produce department ingredients for dips, such as, guacamole and salsa, as well as finger foods were highlighted for the big game. The Super Bowl influence on ads this week appeared to minimize produce ads in favor of other items throughout the store. As a result, produce ad activity decreased overall by roughly 11 percent this week with fruits declining about 7 percent, and vegetables declining about 16 percent. However, avocadoes were a main feature for the big game celebrations, and were 12 percent of all items. The top five items this week were avocadoes, grapes, nectarines, peaches, and baby carrots. February is a busy month for featuring items associated with special events. These include various kinds of potatoes for Potato Lover’s Month, lemons and seafood for the upcoming Lenten season, roses for Valentine’s Day, and Asian produce for Chinese New Year.