Value-added leafy greens accounted for nearly 10% of total fresh produce sales at retail in 2020, bringing in $7.2 billion and demonstrating continued strong demand for convenience items.
According to the new Power of Produce report from FMI, sales have been “extremely strong” during the pandemic as shoppers combine cooking more from scratch with convenience items.
“Now, more than ever, eating healthy is critical,” said Brent Lunn, vice president of sales for Toronto, Ontario-based Reunion Foods, which markets the plant-based dressings and dips brand Mother Raw. “As we all deal with both physical and mental well-being in these difficult times, eating good healthy foods are critical – healthy and delicious! As everyone knows, from listening to health professionals and our moms, eating well involves eating more vegetables.”
The connection between salads and health will get an extra push in May, which is National Salad Month.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Dole Food Co., which offers 65 packaged salad kits and blends and 20 single and multi-serve salad bowls, has big plans for the occasion.
“This year during May, we will utilize a dedicated social media campaign and proactive PR and blogger/influencer efforts to actively promote the health, taste and convenience of Dole packaged salads, and distribute a sampling of the dozens of Dole salad recipes on www.dole.com,” said Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications.
“Melanie Marcus, our in-house dietitian and nutrition and health communications manager, will bring salad recipes, serving suggestions and related content to hundreds of thousands of salad enthusiasts through the Dole.com blog and Dole Nutrition News.”
Oxnard, Calif.-based Boskovich Farms plans to launch its new website in May, using National Salad Month as a springboard to communicate with consumers about the Boskovich family and the company’s many brands, plus new recipes designed to help consumers better feed their families.
The options in the packaged salad category continue to expand. Salinas, Calif.-based Church Brothers Farms recently launched a four-count clamshell pack of its Little Gem lettuce, Dole has two new options in its chopped salads lineup, with more new options planned for later this year, and Boskovich also has new items slated for the coming months.
Reunion Foods recently launched three more options in its plant-based salad dressing line. There are also more and more packaged salads coming available from greenhouse growers like Carpinteria, Calif.-based Hollandia Produce, which markets the Pete’s brand, and Charleston, S.C.-based Vertical Roots.
While packaged salads has been an incredibly strong category for years, Dole expects that demand in 2021 will even exceed that of 2020.
“Store shelves were wiped clean at the onset of the pandemic,” Goldfield said. “Dole experienced increased demand in both packaged salads and our commodity produce, as consumers recognized the need for nutritious foods during shelter-in-place orders and as stores remained open and operational.
“While some of this activity has since returned to normal levels, salads continue to perform very well as convenience still resonates,” Goldfield said.
“We do typically see a spike in demand for packaged salads in May as the weather turns warmer and thoughts turn to Memorial Weekend, summer, backyard barbecues and family gatherings – a phenomenon that will no doubt intensify this year as the country continues to open up and return to at least a semblance of normal. For this reason, we anticipate packaged salad demand to be up in 2021 over last year.”
