Potatoes USA has released its first comprehensive set of regional retail sales reports for fresh potatoes, offering detailed insights into category performance across eight U.S. regions. The initiative is aimed at helping retailers and category managers refine their product assortment, promotional strategies, and merchandising to better meet local consumer demand.

The reports form part of a broader national strategy to strengthen retailer collaboration and provide store-level decision-making tools.

“This initiative is about helping retailers uncover opportunities in their own region,” said Nick Bartelme, Potatoes USA Global Retail Development Manager. “Potato performance varies widely across the country. By breaking the data down regionally, we’re giving retailers a sharper lens on consumer demand in their markets, insights that inform how they merchandise, promote, and prioritize potato products in store. Whether it’s capitalizing on rising trends like medleys or tailoring product assortments to meet local preferences, these reports support more precise, growth-oriented strategies.”

Regional Performance Trends

In California, consumers showed a strong preference for 5-lb bags, with yellow potato sales growing and medleys also gaining in volume. The Great Lakes region recorded year-over-year growth in both dollar and volume sales, with yellow potatoes and smaller pack sizes performing well.

The Mid-South saw overall volume remain steady, but medleys and petite potatoes exceeded national average growth rates. In the Northeast, red and yellow potatoes maintained strong consumer appeal, with bulk and value pack formats proving popular.

In the Southeast, dollar sales increased despite a slight decline in volume, suggesting opportunities for premiumisation and targeted marketing. The South Central region reported some of the largest year-over-year increases in both sales and volume, led by strong performance in russets and value packs.

In the Plains, shoppers favoured smaller pack sizes, while red and yellow potatoes performed strongly in both dollar and volume terms. The West led the category in total dollar sales, with russets, yellows, and medleys all contributing to a diverse demand profile.

Potatoes USA says these insights will enable retailers to adapt strategies for each market and capture emerging growth opportunities in the fresh potato category.