Editor’s Note: The following report is from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023, which provides insight based on survey responses from consumers. Since 1983, The Packer has sponsored 40 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.
The banana is king.
The tropical fruit is the most purchased produce item for consumers polled by The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023.
Sixty-three percent of consumers said they purchased bananas in the past year, compared with 62% of potatoes, 59% for onions, 58% for apples, 58% for tomatoes and 52% for grapes.
The U.S. average terminal market price for bananas in 2022 was $20.88 per box, up 9% from $19.16 per carton in 2021 and up 14% from $18.37 per carton in 2020.
U.S. imports of bananas in 2022 totaled $2.49 billion, up 3% from $2.41 billion in 2021.
The average retail per capita availability for bananas has grown slightly in the past few years, from 25.5 pounds in 2011 to 27.4 pounds in 2019.
There was no wide variation in the percentage of consumers who buy bananas based on income. For example, 67% of consumers who earned more than $100,000 a year said they purchased bananas, compared with 62% of consumers who earn less than $25,000 annually.
Likewise, Fresh Trends 2023 showed that men (64%) and women (63%) shared similar buying frequencies for fresh bananas.
Consumers with no kids at home (69%) showed higher banana purchasing patterns than shoppers with kids at home (56%), according to Fresh Trends 2023.
Fresh Trends 2023 showed that consumers in the Midwest (69%) were the most frequent purchasers of bananas, compared with 62% in the Northeast, 62% in the West and 61% in the South.
By age group, the highest purchase frequency was noted for consumers aged 60 and older (78%), while just 53% of those in the 18-29 age group reported fresh banana purchases.
Bananas were most popular with consumers with white/Caucasian consumers (66%), Asian shopper (68%) and 53% for Black/African American consumers.
