National Retail Report - Dec. 19

From the USDA retail report of Dec. 19:

Ads were once again focused on holiday themes this week. Hams and roasts were often featured prominently on front pages and shared the space often with a variety of citrus, especially Clementines. Retailers also promoted fully prepared meals along with party trays and gift baskets, many of which included fresh and fresh cut produce items. Fresh cut flower
arrangements and potted poinsettias were also featured widely. Overall fresh produce ad activity was up more than 32% compared to last week; fruits were up nearly 14% and vegetables were up more than 61%. The top 5 featured items were: sweet potatoes, pineapples, cherries, Clementines, and blueberries. The most significant increase was seen on sweet potatoes which were featured nearly as often this week as they were in the week prior to Thanksgiving. Imported produce, especially fruits, continued to be featured quite heavily
this week.