VIDEO: Anne-Marie Roerink discusses factors influencing produce sales

Anne-Marie Roerink, principal of 210 Analytics, and Ashley Nickle, editor of PMG, discuss the latest IRI numbers on fresh produce sales, the factors influencing those sales, and opportunities still out there for the taking.

Packaged versus bulk

The share of packaged produce has increased during the pandemic, and consumer comments and surveys have indicated that there are people going out of their way to buy more packaged items. However, it’s not quite so simple to say that the growth indicated by retail scan data is due to people seeking out packaged produce.

The question becomes this: particularly in the huge-growth early weeks of the pandemic, were people buying items like potatoes and berries because they wanted those items, or because those items tend to be available packaged?

New normal? Not yet (again)

The “new normal” remains elusive, as widespread media coverage of meat shortages has driven more frequent trips in recent weeks. As people stock up on meat, they also tend to buy more produce since they are already in the store and because produce often plays the side dish role to meat.

Online grocery

In recent years, while online grocery has seen growth, frequent users remained a small percentage of the U.S. population. Now, not only are people switching trips to online, but fresh is being included in baskets more quickly than the traditional curve that begins with people buying dry goods only and then gradually adding fresh items to the cart.

Stores are starting to get more creative as far as utilizing their online platforms. While it’s difficult to replicate the in-store environment that lends itself to impulse sales, some retailers are experimenting with some cross-merchandising and other techniques on their websites in an effort to prompt incremental purchases. One example was listing guacamole ingredients together so people could easily add all of the items to their cart without having to seek them out individually.

For more on these topics, watch the full conversation, and check out these related articles:

Fresh produce sales remain elevated in first week of May

Survey shows how shopper behaviors in stores are changing