Avocado study shows bagged avocado sales trends

Bagged avocados are finding their way into the grocery baskets of U.S. avocado shoppers as bags now make up more than a quarter of all avocado purchases.

A recent study by the Hass Avocado Board (HAB), available for free download on hassavocadoboard.com/business-support-tools, revealed that purchases of bagged avocados have increased at three times the rate of bulk over a four-year period (2016-2019) as shoppers continued to add bags to their grocery basket. 

While bagged avocados are becoming more important to the category, 59% of avocado-purchasing households continue to purchase bulk avocados exclusively, and 9% purchase bagged avocados exclusively. However, there is another group of households that are making a significant impact on category purchase trends.

This household group purchases a combination of bulk and bagged avocados and makes up the remaining 32% of avocado-purchasing households. These “Both” households drove 50% of all avocado purchases in 2019, up from 43% in 2016. 

 “It is becoming increasingly important for avocado marketers and retailers to consider their product offerings in this rapidly changing retail marketplace,” explains Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board. “Bulk avocados are an essential part of the category, but bagged avocados continue to drive growth.”

The study also includes key actions and opportunities for the industry to drive sales of Hass avocados and suggests that bagged avocados may be one way to attract the high-value “Super” avocado shopper. The study revealed that “Super” avocado households were more likely than other households to purchase a combination of bulk and bagged avocados. In 2019, more than half of “Super” households fell into the “Both” household segment. 

The study is based on household purchase data from the IRI Consumer NetworkTM. HAB offers these insights and detailed retail information as the only avocado organization that equips the entire industry for success, with clear and actionable data and metrics that all can use to drive their avocado business. To learn more about the impact of bagged avocados and the households that purchase them, visit hassavocadoboard.com/business-support-tools.