Volume of Honeycrisp apples sold at retail in March jumped 31.5% over year-ago levels, according to the latest Stemilt Growers Fruit Tracker Fast Facts.
The report from Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers said the average retail price declined but dollars earned by Honeycrisp grew 14.4% in March compared with the previous March.
Gala, Honeycrisp, fuji, granny smith, and red delicious were the top five apples by volume in March, according to the report.
The share of sales from organic apples at retail grew by 1% compared with 2017, according to the report. The average retail priced for organic apples was $2.20 per pound in March, down six cents compared with a year ago but still 30% more than average conventional apple retail prices. The average price for all apples in March was $1.67 per pound, up 5 cents from March a year ago.
The average price for bulk apples was $1.85 per pound in March, up seven cents from $1.78 per pound a year ago. The average price for bagged apples, according to the Stemilt report, was $1.43 per pound, up four cents per pound from March 2017.
“Washington state’s organic apple season will carry into the early summer months so this growth is a positive for retailers,” Brianna Shales, Stemilt communications manager, said in a release. Organic fuji and granny smith are well-suited for organic promotions now, she said.
Apples accounted for 5.9% of total produce department sales in March, down from 6.3% from March 2017.
“Though apple volume and dollars are trending down year-over-year, apples are still delivering more than $3,000 per store per week on average across the U.S.,” Shales said in the release. “Focusing on multi-variety apple promotions is a great way to ensure success for this key produce category.”
