National Retail Report - March 13

From the USDA's National Retail Report on March 13:


Ads for St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th) were the front page focus this week with many stores
featuring corned beef brisket, green cabbage, carrots and red potatoes. Ads also featured potted shamrocks and other greenery and bakery items decorated especially for the holiday. Some smaller retailers regionally kept their focus on the Lenten period with continued offersings of seafood and accompaniments. Easter which is April 12th this year is 19 days later that last year (March 23, 2008) so Easter ads which were prevalent this time last year are hardly seen yet. Not surprisingly, cabbage was the featured produce item this week. The number of stores with cabbage on ad jumped from 2,000 to over 12,000 stores this week. Overall produce ads were at 114,069 stores, up 8 percent from the previous week. Vegetables ads were up 27 percent while fruit ads fell 6 percent compared to the previous week.


Fruits as Percentage of Total Fruit Ads March 13, 2009
Apples, red delicious 7%
Avocados, hass 6%
Cantaloupe 10%
Grapes, green/red 16%
Nectarines 6%
Peaches 6%
Plums 7%
Strawberries 13%


Vegetables as Percentage of Total Vegetable Ads March 13, 2009
Asparagus 11%
Cabbage 23%
Carrots, baby 7%
Onions, yellow 6%
Onions, sweet 5%
Tomatoes on the vine 6%


Here is the summary graph from National Retail Report from March 14, 2008:

St. Patrick’s Day was the dominant theme in ads this week, as most stores featured corned beef, cabbage, and red potatoes on the front page of their ads. In addition, retailers continue to promote Easter with various specialty items, such as candy, and potted plants and flowers. Seafood continues to be featured for the final days of the Lenten season. Overall, fruits continue to be more heavily featured than vegetables, with the exception of cabbage. The large number of grape, cantaloupe and stone fruit ads can be attributed to heavy volumes of these items being imported from South America and the Caribbean Basin. The amount of cabbage ads featured this week was significantly higher than all the other vegetables, with baby carrots coming in a distant second place followed by asparagus. In addition to cabbage reported, there were an abundance of ads of organically grown cabbage. Springtime seasonal items, other than produce, such as daffodils, tulips, and other flowers continue to be featured by retailers.

Fruits as Percentage of Total Fruit Ads March 14, 2008
Nectarines, yellow flesh 8%
Peaches 9%
Pineapple 6%
Cantaloupe 9%
Avocadoes, hass 8%
Apples, red delicious 5%
Strawberries 10%
Plums 7%
Grapes, green/red 18%


Vegetables as Percentage of Total Vegetable Ads March 14, 2008
Onions, yellow 5%
Tomatoes on the vine 6%
Tomatoes, grape 5%
Cabbage 22%
Broccoli 5%

National retail report - Feb. 27

From the USDA's National Retail Report of Feb. 27:

Lenten seafood specials were the highlight of this week’s ads nationwide. Some retailers promoted other Lenten foods such as canned tuna, soup, eggs and cheese. Ads that broke earlier in the period featured Fat Tuesday bakery items such as King Cake and Paczki donuts. A few were promoting candy and other items needed to create a festive Easter basket. Overall this week, total produce ad activity showed a modest increase of 1.4%. Grapes continue to be the most popular item featured this week, beating second place asparagus by nearly 5,000 total ads. Nectarines remained the third most popular item, while avocadoes edged out peaches by only 30 ads. In addition, there were notable increases in ads for limes, lemons, iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes on the vine.

National Retail Report - Feb. 13

From the USDA's National Retail Report


Valentine’s Day promotions dominated the weekly ads. One dozen rose arrangements were in nearly every retailer’s ad along with stuffed animals. While Valentine’s Day is primarily considered an eating-out occasion, retailers tried to entice shoppers with romantic crab or lobster and steak dinners with sides of asparagus and strawberries. Imported grapes and the stone-fruit trio of nectarines, peaches and plums were featured in all regions of the country. Tomatoes on the vine, Russet potatoes and red bell peppers were frequent vegetable features along with sweet onions and mushrooms regionally. Produce ads this week were down 11 percent compared to last week. Strawberries jumped to the Number Two spot.

Avocados - 11% of produce ads

From the Jan. 30 USDA's National Retail Report:

This week, retailer’s advertisements were focused on this weekend’s Super Bowl. Snacks and beverages for tailgating and parties were widely featured. Some major chains were running 3 or 4-day only sales featuring chicken wings, party platters, avocados, and grapes. Despite the Super Bowl influence on snacks and beverage ads, produce ads managed to hold up quite well even as they were less prominently placed. Avocados took a big jump in the number of stores featuring the product and accounted for nearly 11% of total produce ads. Rounding out the top 5 items were grapes, strawberries, baby carrots, and nectarines. Some West Coast chains also featured Asian produce for the Chinese New Year, which took place this week. Peaches and limes were other heavily advertised fruits. On the vegetable side, tomatoes, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions were widely advertised, as measured by the number of stores featuring the product.

Winter doldrums or something else? - USDA National Retail Report

From the summary of the USDA's National Retail Report of Jan. 23.


Produce ads seemed to be suffering the winter doldrums with less ad space devoted to fresh produce and more on meats and dry and canned goods. Several chains promoted now as the time to stock up the pantry with caseload sales of canned and non-perishable goods. There were a number of “10 for $10” and “5 for $5” promotions as well. Grapes and stone fruits (peaches and nectarines) topped the overall fresh produce ads. Avocados and peppers (both green and red) were also top 5 leaders in ad activity. Strawberries, blueberries, and cantaloupes were other popular fruit items. There was a notable absence of apple ads in the Midwest and Northwest. Popular vegetables included tomatoes (on the vine and grape type) and baby carrots.

Savings time: National Retail Report - Jan. 16

Above: cherries and blueberries at Wal-Mart end cap on Jan. 19 in Olathe, Kansas



From the summary of the National Retail Report from Jan. 16.

This week, most ads showed a renewed focus on saving money with a variety of promotions. These included, “10 for $10” and “5 for $5” with an emphasis on general grocery items such as canned goods. There were also some retailers continuing to highlight healthful choices in the New Year especially with their natural and organic selections. Overall fresh produce ad activity was up again this week by more than 8%. This increase corresponded to an increases in both fruit (up nearly 6%) and vegetable (up nearly 12%) ad activity. The fruit category dominated the top 5 featured items once again this week. The top 5 accounted for almost half of all fruit ads and nearly a third of total produce ads. These included: peaches, nectarines, grapes, cherries, and avocados.

National Retail Report - Jan. 2

From the summary of the USDA National Retail Report:


This week, almost all ads focused on celebrations for the New Year and featured pork, black-eyed peas, and an array of party platters prominently. In addition, many retailers were simultaneously promoting party items for many of the football bowl games. A shift in the main theme from celebrations to healthful changes and resolutions as evident in the ads breaking late in the week. Overall fresh produce ad activity was up 7.5% compared to last week and corresponded to an increase of nearly 16% in the number of fruit ads and a decrease of more than 2% on vegetables. The top 5 featured items were all fruits and accounted for roughly 44% of all fruits and nearly 26% of total produce ads. These included: avocados, cherries, Clementines, cantaloupes, and limes. There were significant increases in ad activity on peaches and nectarines as the supplies from Chile increased. Strawberries also saw a significant increase and on many occasions retailers specified their stock was from Florida. The most dramatic decline in activity was seen on sweet potatoes as the number of ads dwindled to almost nothing compared to last week.

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.

Retail report - Dec. 12

Here is the summary of the National Retail Report of Dec. 12:

Retailers this week were once again focused on the upcoming holiday season. Generally, the most prevalent ads were seen on meat and grocery items. In fact, hams were the focal point of many front page ads and were surrounded by many holiday items – most often seen were seasonal citrus, especially Clementines, grapes, and a wide variety of nuts. Overall total produce ads were up 6% from the previous week. Fruit ads were up 12% while features for vegetables were down 2%. Major increases in ad activity were seen on imported fruit such as cantaloupes from Guatemala, Clementines from Spain and Morocco, cherries, and pineapples. Also on fruit, a seasonal switch in pears could be seen as Bartlett ads decreased and D’Anjou ads increased. Russet potato ads on 5 lb bags more than doubled compared to the previous
week.

Give it up for grapes - National Retail Report - Dec. 5

From the National Retail Report of Dec. 5:


Retailers wasted no time switching gears from Thanksgiving to the Christmas season. Items for holiday baking were widely featured in the grocery section, while the floral departments of many stores were dominated by holiday arrangements, wreaths, and of course, poinsettias. With holiday celebrations around the corner, fruit and vegetable party trays, and decorated cakes and cookies were prominently featured items this week. Overall fresh produce ad activity decreased over 7% with a significant decrease in vegetable ads of 38%. Fruit ad activity increased approximately 18%. The top 5 featured items this week were all fruits: Grapes, avocados, blueberries, clementines, and Bartlett pears. These 5 items accounted for 53% of total fruit ads. Some retailers had 10 for $10 ads promoting apples, pears, grapefruit, avocadoes and mangoes. Grapes, clementines, oranges, blueberries, pears and asparagus were widely seen on the front page of ads this week. The new crop of peaches and nectarines from Chile have made their first appearance in ads in the Southwest and Northwest.

National Retail Report - Nov. 28

From the USDA's National Retail Report of Nov. 28:


Retailers wrapped up their Thanksgiving promotions by prominently featuring turkeys on the front page of their ads along with usual ingredients that make up the traditional holiday dinner. Many had extended their ad schedules to accommodate the holiday. Some retailers featured new advertisements with the Christmas holiday theme by promoting gift wrap, tree ornaments, and children’s gifts. Overall fresh produce ad activity showed a decrease of nearly 10% this weekend corresponded to decreases in both fruits (4.5%) and vegetables (20%). The top 5 featured items accounted for about 40% of total ads. These were: sweet potatoes, grapes, celery, pineapples, and blueberries. Grapes, pineapple, and blueberries accounted for 47% of total fruit ads, and sweet potatoes and celery comprised 32% of vegetable ads. The humble Brussels sprout was widely featured in ads this week, however is not reported here.

Nov. 21 National Retail report - of cranberries and sweet potatoes

From the USDA National Retail Report:

In this final full week before Thanksgiving, retailers focused ads on turkey and the trimmings for holiday meals; and many altered their ad schedules, mostly in the form of extensions, to accommodate the holiday. Turkey promotions commanded the bulk of front page space in the form of fresh and frozen sales and as the centerpiece of fully prepared meals. Cranberries and sweet potatoes were the most prominently featured produce items.
Overall fresh produce ad activity showed an increase of nearly 21% this week and corresponded to increases in both fruits (3.5%) and vegetables (36%). The top 5 featured items accounted for about 42% of total ads. These were: sweet potatoes, celery, asparagus, grapes, and pineapples. Sweet potatoes alone accounted for nearly 12% of total ads and 20% of vegetable ads. Cranberries, as reported in the seasonal section of this report, were almost as widely featured as sweet potatoes. An array of seasonal items have begun showing up in features over the last couple of weeks. These included: pomegranates, chestnuts, and persimmons as well as a variety of citrus and nuts. Features on potted poinsettia were also noted more often this week than last.

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.

National Retail Report - Nov. 7

From the USDA's National Retail report of Nov. 7:


Retailers fully shifted their attention and efforts to the upcoming holiday season this week. The majority of retailers were advertising Thanksgiving promotions in a variety of ways. In many ads, meats took up the bulk of front page ad space. There were many value promotions, such as “10 for $10” and stock up sales on canned good prominently placed. Ads on seasonally available and locally grown items continued to be a fixture in the produce section. These included a wide variety of apples, pears, and squash. Items typically associated with the holiday season (cranberries, chestnuts, and pomegranates) were also noted often. Overall this week, fresh produce ads increased nearly 8%. Vegetable ad activity was up slightly more than 15% compared to last week with the most notable increases on zucchini and green beans. Fruit was virtually unchanged. The top 5 featured items were: grapes, pears, asparagus, avocados, and apples. Other notable items this week included navel oranges and russet potatoes. The first of California’s navel crop began showing up in ads and could be seen by the dramatic increase in the number of ads of them sold by the pound. Russet potatoes sold by the pound and in 10 lb bags increased significantly as well this week.

Retail Report - Oct. 31

From summary graf of the the Oct. 31 USDA retail report:

Retailers with ads breaking early in the week continued to promote Halloween goods and party items. In addition, many retailers were highlighting a wide variety of seasonal produce, especially many types of apples, squash, and other Fall vegetables. Some retailers were beginning their efforts to draw in Thanksgiving shoppers by advertising Turkey promotions and prepared meal solutions for the holiday. Overall this week, fresh produce ads were down more than 6%. Vegetable ads decreased by more than 17% compared to last week. Fruit ad activity, however, was up more than 9% over last week. The top 5 featured items were: pears, asparagus, grapes, tomatoes OTV, and avocados. Many seasonal items not regularly captured in this report were featured quite heavily. Of these, the most notable were a variety of apples, pears, and squash.
.

National Retail Report - Oct. 24

From the USDA's National Retail Report:

With Halloween just around the corner, many retailers this week took this final opportunity to showcase their candy, costumes, decorations, and other affiliated goods. Pumpkins for carving and baking remained very popular nationwide. There was an abundance of ads featuring 10 for $10 and 5 for $5 deals on a variety of grocery items. Produce items offered 10 for $10 included apples, pears, baby carrots, celery, onions, and mangoes. The top five featured items were: grapes, asparagus, sweet onions, bartlett pears, and baby carrots. The total number of fresh produce ads changed minimally from last week to this week. However, there were significant changes in the number of fruit ads and vegetable ads. Fruit ads decreased 14% from last week, and vegetable ads increased nearly 10%. There is a notable decrease in the number of strawberry and cantaloupe ads. Likewise, significant increases are seen in the number of baby carrot, sweet onion, and squash ads.

National Retail Report - Oct. 17

From the USDA National Retail Report of Oct. 17:

Fall Season Promoted Nationwide
Retailers continued to promote the fall season and its activities, especially Halloween. Ads were prevalent nationwide for such items as pumpkins, candy, apple cider, Indian corn, and caramel apples. Retailers featured many apple varieties not included in this report, such as Cortland, Empire, and the increasingly popular Honeycrisp. In addition, there were many
promotions related to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Overall this week, the number of fresh produce ads changed minimally for both fruits and vegetable. The top 5 featured items were: grapes, strawberries, pears, OTV tomatoes, and asparagus. A few items featured in many ads this week that are not captured in this report were winter squash, kiwi, and tangerines.

National Retail Report - Oct. 10

From the USDA National Retail Report:

A variety of themes were noted in this week’s ads. In addition to a prevalent overall autumn theme, retailers chose to highlight October as Organic Harvest Month, National Seafood Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Some retailers had even begun to announce Thanksgiving promotions. Overall this week, fresh produce ads were down more than 5% and could be attributed to a decline of nearly 5% on fruit ads and a decline of more than 5% on vegetable ads. The top 5 featured items were: grapes, pears, OTV tomatoes, strawberries, and asparagus. As was the case last week, many seasonal items not regularly captured in this report were featured quite heavily. Of these, the most notable were a variety of apples, pears, and squash.



Fruits as Percentage of Total Fruit Ads - October 10, 2008
Mangoes 5%
Lemons 2%
Limes 1%
Honeydew 1%
Grapefruit, red 1%
Nectarines 1%
Oranges, navel 1%
Watermelon, mini 0%
Strawberries, organic 2%
Strawberries 11%
Pears, bartlett 16%
Peaches 7%
Pineapple 6%
Plums 3%


Vegetables as Percentage of Total Vegetable Ads - October 10, 2008
Broccoli, organic 0%
Broccoli 2%
Beans, round green 2%
Tomatoes, on the vine 11%
Tomatoes, organic 0%
Tomatoes 4%
Cabbage 2%
Carrots, baby
organic 5%
Carrots, baby 4%
Asparagus 10%
Tomatoes, grape organic 1%
Tomatoes, grape 4%
Celery 3%
Corn 1%
Cucumbers 3%
Lettuce, iceberg 3%
Lettuce, romaine 1%
Mushrooms, white %8
Onions, yellow 3%
Sweet Potatoes 5%
Squash, zucchini 4%
Potatoes, russet 4%
Peppers, bell red 8%
Peppers, bell green 4%
Onions, sweet 8%

National Retail Report - Oct. 3

From the USDA's National Retail Report of Oct. 3:


Retailers Focus on Seasonal Produce
Again this week, retailers chose to feature items with a focus on Fall and specifically Halloween celebrations. Many retailers sought to entice customers to buy in bulk and save with “10 for $10”, “12 for $12”, “truckload sales”, and “warehouse sales”. In addition, there were scattered ads promoting October as National Seafood Month as well as promotions for the upcoming Yom Kippur and Columbus Day holidays. Overall this week, fresh produce ads were down nearly 9% and could be attributed to a decline of about 12% on fruit ads and a decline of roughly 7% on vegetable ads. The top 5 of the regularly reported items were: grapes, pears, OTV tomatoes, strawberries, and apples. Despite the decline in ad activity this week, many seasonal items not regularly captured in this report were featured quite heavily. The most notable and widely featured of these items were a variety of apples, pears, and squash. Also of note was the increased ad activity on round red potatoes in 5 lb bags. Round red potatoes were second only to grapes in the number of stores with ads this week. This major increase in ads corresponds to increased availability from major production areas in the Midwest and decreased availability and higher prices of russet potatoes from Idaho.



Fruits as Percentage of Total Fruit Ads -October 3, 2008
Plums 3%
Pineapple 5%
Mangoes 1%
Lemons 1%
Limes 2%
Honeydew 1%
Grapefruit, red 0%
Nectarines 5%
Oranges,navel 2%
Pears, bartlett 14%
Peaches 7%
Strawberries 10%
Strawberries, organic 2%
Watermelon, mini 2%
Apples, red delicious 9%
Avocadoes, hass 6%
Bananas 4%
Grapes, green/red 22%
Bananas, organic 1%
Cantaloupe 7%



Vegetables as Percentage of Total Vegetable Ads - October 3, 2008
Broccoli, organic 1%
Broccoli 5%
Beans, round green 2%
Tomatoes, on the vine 10%
Tomatoes, organic 0%
Tomatoes 6%
Cabbage 4%
Carrots, baby organic 3%
Carrots, baby 6%
Asparagus 6%
Tomatoes, grape organic 1%
Tomatoes, grape 4%
Celery 3%
Corn 1%
Cucumbers 4%
Lettuce, iceberg 4%
Lettuce,romaine 1%
Mushrooms,white 6%
Onions,yellow4%
Sweet Potatoes 3%
Squash, zucchini 4%
Potatoes, russet 3%
Peppers,bell red 5%
Peppers, bell green 8%
Onions, sweet 6%

Sweet tango and the Retail Report - Sept. 26

I had a pleasant surprise this morning when I found a small box of Sweet Tango apples on my chair. As recent coverage in The Packer indicates the variety - a progeny of the Honeycrisp - is being highly touted for its full flavor and attractive appearance. From David Mitchell's story:

SweeTango, a cross of Honeycrisp and Zestar, will be available in limited quantities starting in late August 2009, said Tim Byrne, vice president of sales and marketing for Lake City, Minn.-based Pepin Heights Orchards Inc. and president of Next Big Thing, a cooperative of 45 growers also based in Lake City.Byrne said the new variety has higher brix levels and more acidity than Honeycrisp, giving it a more complex flavor profile. He said the SweeTango is more of a deep, rich red color compared to the mottled Honeycrisp, which is red and yellow.

Meanwhile, here is the summary from the Sept. 26 National Retail Report from the USDA:

Fruit Ads Decline Significantly, Apples and Pears Featured Widely
Fall themed ads were seen throughout the country this week with an emphasis on items to celebrate Halloween. In addition to the typical candy promotions, most retailers heavily featured a variety of apples, carving pumpkins, other decorative pumpkins, a variety of squash, and potted mums. A few ads highlighting Rosh Hashanah and Hispanic Heritage Month were also noted. Many retailers also used “10 for $10” promotions quite often this week. Overall, fresh produce ads were down more than 8%. Fruit ad activity declined more than 21% this week and vegetable activity increased roughly 9%. Despite the decline in fruit ads, the top 5 featured items were predominantly fruits. The top 5 included: Pears, grapes, tomatoes on the vine, peaches, and strawberries. The majority of fruit ads continued to be concentrated on a few items and vegetable ads continued to be distributed widely across the reported items. Pears alone made up 19% of all fruit items. Pears, grapes, peaches and strawberries comprised about 55% of total fruit ads. Retailers featured an abundance of seasonally available produce in addition to the items in this report. A variety of apple features were noted with the most prevalent being Galas. Squash were also noted quite often and the most featured varieties were butternut, acorn, and spaghetti.