Editor’s note: The following report is from The Packer’s Organic Fresh Trends 2024, which provides insight based on survey responses from consumers. Since 1983, The Packer has sponsored major consumer studies to track trends in the purchases and consumption of fresh produce, documenting the fluctuation in purchases of specific fruits and vegetables as well as changing attitudes toward industry issues.
Organic cucumber demand continues to move higher.
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.
Those numbers are much like a year ago, when the Organic Fresh Trends 2023 survey found that 13% of consumers said they shop exclusively for organic cucumbers and 34% said they shop for organic cucumbers at least periodically.
Organic Fresh Trends 2024 shows that 27% of consumers aged 18-29 said they shopped exclusively for organic cucumbers, compared with just 4% of consumers aged 60 or older.
By gender, Organic Fresh Trends reports 16% of women consumers polled said they shopped exclusively for organic cucumbers, compared with 10% of men who said they shopped exclusively for organic cucumbers.
Retail organic cucumber sales are on an upward path. According to Circana, sales totaled $145.7 million in 2022, up 7.2% from 2021.
Circana reports that volume of organic cucumbers totaled 43.1 million pounds in 2022, up 4.6%. The average retail price was pegged at $3.38 per pound, up 2.5% from 2021.
Circana reports that organic cucumbers accounted for 10.2% of total retail cucumber sales. Organic cucumbers contribute 1.8% of total organic produce sales.
Organic Fresh Trends 2024 generally found that exclusive organic shoppers skew slightly toward women, higher-income households with children, and younger consumers.
More info from Organic Fresh Trends 2024
Organic retail sales — Cucumbers 2022
- Pounds sold: 43.1 million
- Average retail price per pound: $3.38
- Retail sales: $145.7 million
- Percent of total organic produce sales: 1.8%
- Organic percent of retail cucumber sales: 10.2%
- Change in sales from last year: 7.2%
Source: Circana
Organic purchasing patterns of cucumbers
- Organic only: 13%
- Organic at least some of the time: 32%*
*Includes consumers who purchase only organic and those who purchase a combination of both organic and conventional product.
Reported ORGANIC ONLY purchase by gender
- Women: 16%
- Men: 10%
Reported ORGANIC ONLY purchase by household income*
- $100k+: 13%
- $50k<$100k: 14%
- $25k<$50k: 11%
- Less than $25k: 13%
*Figures based on annual household income
Reported ORGANIC ONLY purchase by presence of children at home
- 1 kid: 17%
- 2 kids: 18%
- 3+ kids: 15%
- No kids: 10%
Reported ORGANIC ONLY purchase by region
- Midwest: 16%
- Northeast: 10%
- South: 15%
- West: 11%
Reported ORGANIC ONLY purchase by age*
- 18-29: 27%
- 30-39: 16%
- 40-49: 15%
- 50-59: 8%
- 60+: 4%
*Considering primary household buyers
Reported ORGANIC ONLY purchase by ethnicity
- Asian: 20%
- Black/African American: 23%
- Hispanic: 18%
- Other: 17%
- White/Caucasian: 10%
