Fresh Trends 2023: How the tomato is trending

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 Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023 survey again found that tomatoes are one of the most widely consumed produce commodities.

Fifty-eight percent of Fresh Trends 2023 respondents said they purchased tomatoes in the past year, compared with 61% for both Fresh Trends 2022 and Fresh Trends 2021.

Higher-income consumers were the most frequent purchasers of fresh tomatoes, with 66% of shoppers earning more than $100,000 a year indicating fresh tomato purchases. That compares with 61% of shoppers making $50,000 to $100,000 annually, 54% for those earning $25,000 to $50,000 per year and 53% of those earning less than $25,000 annually.

Fresh tomato consumption has remained fairly stable in the last decade. The USDA reports that retail per capita availability of fresh tomatoes dipped slightly from 17.8 pounds in 2011 to 17.3 pounds in 2019.

The average fob for fresh tomatoes in 2022 was $16.82 per carton in 2022, up 23% from $13.63 per carton in 2021, according to USDA numbers.

The USDA reported that the average advertised retail price for tomatoes in 2022 was $2.38 per unit, up 8% from $2.22 per unit in 2021. The number of stores promoting tomatoes in 2022 was 848,534, according to USDA, down 2% from 861,166 stores in 2021.

Consumers with no kids at home (62%) were more frequent purchasers of fresh tomatoes, with 53% of shoppers with kids at home reporting fresh tomato purchases.

Shoppers in the West (62%) were the most frequent purchasers of fresh tomatoes, followed by the Midwest (61%), 56% for the South and 55% for the Northeast.

At 72%, consumers aged 60 and older were the top age bracket for tomato consumption. That compares with 71% for the 50-59 age group, 55% for the 40-49 age group, 51% for the 30-39 age group and 39% for the 18-29 age group.

White/Caucasian consumers were the most frequent purchasers for fresh tomatoes (64%), compared with 41% for Black/African American consumers, 55% for Hispanic buyers and 58% for Asian shoppers.