Cinco de Mayo racks up sales, volume growth
The Hass Avocado Board continues to chart the success of the fruit with another positive quarter, in which Easter, Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day holidays saw growth in dollar sales and volume moved.
The board’s Q2 2018 Avocado Holiday Retail Recap used retail sales data from IRI/Freshlook, showing retail volume surpassed 43 million units for Easter, nearly 66 million for Cinco de Mayo and almost 50 million for Memorial Day.
“Hass avocados are not only a staple for many Cinco de Mayo celebrations, they are also being used to add flavor to traditional Easter dishes and backyard grilling entrees for Memorial Day,” Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board, said in a news release. “The holidays are a great time to promote avocados as they make a delicious and healthy addition to holiday dishes and celebrations.”
Figures for the second-quarter holidays include:
Easter — Volume up 27% from 2017, and dollar sales up 5%, amid an 18% drop in total U.S. average sals price. Average sales prices were down in all regions compared to 2017, ranging from 78 cents in South Central U.S. to $1.33 in the Northeast.
Cinco de Mayo — A 45% increase in volume sales with nearly 66 million units sold and $60 million in sales, an 11% increase. All regions had double-digit gains in volume, and three had big gains in dollar growth: West (10%), Southeast (20%) and Northeast (25%). Total U.S. average sales prices for the week of Cinco de Mayo were down 24%, to 91 cents a unit, according to the release.
Memorial Day — Record volumes of nearly 50 million units pushed volumes from 2017 to 39% higher, with double-digit volume growth in all eight U.S. regions, led by a 55% hike in the Northeast. The eight regions also saw double-digit declines in average price, with an average decline of 25% across the U.S.
