Potatoes Are the Foundation of 2024 Fresh Produce Sales
Fresh potatoes remain a kitchen mainstay in the U.S., with 85.2% of households buying the versatile vegetable nearly 11 times yearly. According to recent sales data, potatoes are not only a popular vegetable, but also a top performer in the produce department, with the largest household penetration of any vegetable.
Potatoes remain the top-selling fresh vegetable by volume, making up 9.7% of all produce pounds and 21.1% of all vegetable pounds. This makes them a sales powerhouse and a key component of retail success.
“Potato dollar sales remain strong, generating USD4.4bn over the past year. Their consistent ranking in the top five fresh produce categories, among 130 categories, for dollar sales demonstrates remarkable resilience in the face of challenging market conditions,” Nick Bartelme, global marketing manager of retail for Potatoes USA, mentioned.
Compared to pre-pandemic sales in June 2018–2019, potato sales generated an extra USD1.3bn in sales from June 2023 to July 2024. Additionally, with 322m more pounds sold than before the epidemic, those same 12 months constitute the second-highest volume sales of potatoes in six years (2019). Strong customer demand and the benefits potatoes provide to merchants’ bottom lines are demonstrated by this upward trend in sales and volume growth.
“As we’ve shared with retailers, one of the most promising insights from this year’s study is the potential for further growth. If just half of the households that currently purchase potatoes were to make one additional purchase per year, it could drive a potential USD218m in sales and 231m extra pounds, significantly impacting the market. Retailers could see major gains from this simple shift in consumer behavior,” Bartelme added.
With 85% of households already buying potatoes, this increase in purchasing frequency could yield considerable growth for both growers and retailers.
“Potatoes continue to be a reliable, year-round sales powerhouse for produce departments, contributing significantly to retail success,” Bartelme concluded.
