February organic pear and apple sales verified that the pandemic year has been incredibly positive for both categories.
Both category organics sales and volumes are up, with organic share greatly increased in the last year.
Organic pears are experiencing incredible growth. They were up a colossal 42% in dollars, and up 44% in volume. Average retail was steady at $2.11/lb. The organic pear category share has nearly doubled in the last year with sales rising from 7.1% in February 2020 to 12.5% in 2021. Volume rose from 5.1% to 9.5% share of the category.
“Supply is catching up with demand, which has excelled during the pandemic year. Consumers are looking for immune boosters, and for more ‘better than’ options like organics to optimize health. Organic pears are loaded with vitamin C, the ‘Antioxidant Vitamin’ that promotes healing and protection against infectious diseases,” describes Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Communication Manager.
Organic apples similarly have seen category share greatly increase.
Organic apple dollar share rose from 12.6% to 16.5% February 2020 to 2021, and organic volume share rose from 9.8% to 12% in the same time frame.
Organic apple and pear excellence is timely with the release of the new Superfresh Organics® branding and new stately purple packaging. The bright pops of color create eye-catching grocery displays, and the purple signifies to consumers that these products are organic. “We look forward to showing off our new Superfresh Organics® packaging at SEPC this spring,” says Gipe-Stewart. “We are the number one grower of organic pears in the United States, and a leading grower of organic apples. Our produce is grown by implementing integrated pest management (IPM), and cultivating the land to be a biodiverse system that works in synchronization with nature. We are proud to be making a positive environmental impact while growing high quality apples and pears.”
Overall, the apple and pear categories have strengthened after a pandemic year. Organic momentum has grown exponentially and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Superfresh Growers is honored to have been your partner through the pandemic year. As the world begins to heal, we are here to support our retail and foodservice partners during COVID-19 and we continue to supply safe, fresh, and nutritious fruit.
