Consumers seek out specific types of items as organic

Selections at the supermarket are sometimes based on a whim, but when you look at consumer data and track the trends, Organic Fresh Trends research shows that shoppers search for particular items in organic form. Leafy greens like kale and spinach have topped the list for several years, followed by berries. This year avocados moved up in the mix significantly. 

Always opting for organic

Avocados were the biggest year-to-year in organics this year. Shoppers who bought organic avocados exclusively moved the fruit from the No. 12 spot last year to the No. 3 spot for 2022. Avocados were also No. 3 on the list of items purchased as organic periodically (up from the No. 7 spot last year). 

Sixteen percent of shoppers in Organic Fresh Trends 2022 said they always chose organic avocados, while only 10% said so last year. 

Kale remains the king of organic-only purchases—23% of kale buyers said they always chose organic greens (up from 21% who said the same last year). Spinach claimed the No. 2 spot (which was also true last year) for organically
exclusive purchases, with one-fifth of buyers saying they chose organic every time they bought spinach.

While some might lump all tender leafy items into this category, they shouldn’t. Interestingly, fewer shoppers sought out organic bagged salad mix this year. The likelihood of an organic-only salad mix purchase dipped from 12% to 10% this year, forcing salad mix to the bottom of the list for organic-exclusive purchases (of items studied by Organic Fresh Trends 2022).

More shoppers chose organic strawberries exclusively in the past 12 months (15% said so), and the fruit inched out blueberries this year (although the percentage of buyers choosing organic blueberries remained the same as in 2021).

Avocados and carrots moved up in the lineup to No. 3 for organic exclusive purchases this year. 

Buying organic periodically

When it came to periodic organic purchases, nearly half of all kale buyers (48%) noted that they bought organic kale at least some of the time—making it the top item purchased as organic periodically. Kale has held the top spot on this list for the past three years.

Interest in organic spinach rose this year, with 44% of spinach buyers saying they selected organic at least some of the time—up from 36% who said so last year. Blueberries and strawberries also came out on top of the list of commodities that consumers chose to buy as organic periodically. 

In addition to being a mover in the exclusively organic category, avocados were also a top contender among items that shoppers periodically bought as organic. While 30% of shoppers last year were prone to buy organic avocados at least some of the time, this year 38% of buyers said they chose organic avocados periodically.

Read the entire 2022 Organic Fresh Trends Magazine here.