The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2026 Report
The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2026 survey asked more than 1,000 U.S. consumers (49% men and 51% women) across five generations and income levels about their fresh produce buying habits and preferences. The goal was to discover key shopper differences and trends to identify the industry’s core value propositions and opportunities for growth. By tracking the shifts in this annual survey, industry stakeholders can make informed decisions regarding production, marketing and retail strategies to better meet evolving demands.
The Packer’s Organic Fresh Trends 2024 reports that 13% of consumers said they shop for organic cucumbers exclusively, and 1 in 3 consumers reported purchasing organic cucumbers at least periodically.
At 33%, the rate of consumer-reported blackberry purchases in The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024 survey is up from survey results of recent years.
Of those surveyed in The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024, 37.3% reported buying cabbage in the past year. See how that compares to the 2023 and 2022 surveys and which consumers most frequently said they bought cabbage.
Sixty percent of consumers polled by The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024 survey reported fresh onion purchases in the past year.
With consumers buying more chili peppers every year, specialty peppers are taking up a larger portion of retail.
Twenty-five percent of Fresh Trends 2020 respondents* reported buying dates in the past 12 months.
Spinach was the second most popular item that consumers bought as organic at least some of the time, of those studied in Organic Fresh Trends 2020.
Younger shoppers are more open to buying organic tomatoes every time they make a purchase, according to Organic Fresh Trends 2020.
Kids love kiwifruit, and that is reflected in the fact that families with kids were more likely to buy the fuzzy fruit than those without kids.
Second only to bananas, apples are a consumer favorite and the No. 2 fruit in the produce department. Overall, apples were the fourth most popular item in the Fresh Trends survey this year.
Here is the consumer data for broccoli and Brussels sprouts in 2020!
More consumers are putting asparagus in their carts. The vegetable was the No. 2 item that shoppers said they tried in the past year that they hadn’t eaten previously.
Four in 10 consumers polled by The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2020 consumer research study said they purchased bell peppers in the past 12 months.
Thirty five percent of customers purchased lemons within the past 12 months, and tend to be a favorite among high-income families with no kids as well as Hispanics.
30% of customers purchased peaches within the past 12 months. The likelihood of a peach purchase increased according to income and age for the third straight year.
This tropical fruit has some dedicated followers.
This sweet tropical fruit attracts families with kids. One-quarter of those with kids living at home said they bought pineapple, compared to 23% without kids who said the same.
A slight majority of consumers polled by The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2020 survey say they would pay a premium for fresh produce packed in containers made from recycled materials.
Nearly one-quarter of banana buyers said they selected organic fruit at least some of the time, Organic Fresh Trends 2020 research shows.
As one of the most popular items in the produce department, apples enjoy a steady organic presence.
Avocados were the No. 1 item that consumers said they bought as organic at least some of the time, based on those commodities studied in Organic Fresh Trends 2019.
Organics have been a part of the mainstream market for years now, and while the shoppers still see them as their own category, consumers tend to accept organically grown produce as an “added choice”.
The organic version of this spiky vegetable found favor in households with children, according to Organic Fresh Trends 2020.
Citrus fruits enjoy a loyal organic following. Families with kids really favor organic oranges.
Kiwifruit is on trend and retail sales are reflecting that conviction.