National Retail Report Nov. 14

From the USDA National Retail Report of Nov. 14.


This week retailers reminded consumers of Thanksgiving’s approach by prominently displaying turkey ads and offerings of complete holiday meals. In addition, ingredients for traditional side dishes and baking items were also featured often on front page ads. Front page fresh produce ads were limited; the items most often noted there were apples and navel oranges. Overall this week, fresh produce ad activity was down about 7% with fruits down nearly 2% and vegetables down over 10%. The top 5 featured items were: grapes, pears, tomatoes OTV, asparagus, and apples. The most notable changes included: cabbage, sweet onions, and tomatoes OTV (all more than double the activity ompared to last week); cucumbers (nearly half the number of ads from last week); and zucchini (less than 1/3 the amount of total ads compared to last week). Seasonal items not reported regularly were featured often in the produce section this week. These included satsumas, tangerines, pomegranates, and chestnuts. A few retailers even began potted poinsettia features.