Report: Fresh potatoes top seller in fresh vegetable pound sales

Fresh potatoes rank as the top seller in terms of fresh vegetable volume movement.

A new analysis by Potatoes USA and consumer advisory company Circana found that fresh potatoes are a popular choice of U.S. consumers, with 85% of households purchasing the vegetable nearly 11 times a year.

Potatoes account for nearly 10% of total produce pounds in produce sales and 21% of all vegetable pounds, making them the top seller in fresh vegetables by volume, according to the analysis.

 

 

“Potato dollar sales remain strong, generating $4.4 billion over the past year,” Nick Bartelme, Potatoes USA global marketing manager of retail, said in a news release. “Their consistent ranking in the top five fresh produce categories, among 130 categories, for dollar sales demonstrates remarkable resilience in the face of challenging market conditions.”

From June 2023 through July 2024, potato sales contributed an additional $1.3 billion in sales compared to sales in June 2018-2019 prior to the pandemic, according to the release. The same 12-month period represented the second-highest potato volume sales in six years with an additional 322 million pounds moved compared to pre-pandemic (2019).

“As we’ve shared with retailers before, one of the most promising insights from this year’s study is the potential for further growth,” Bartelme said. “If just half of the households that currently purchase potatoes were to make one additional purchase per year, it could drive a potential $218 million in sales and 231 million extra pounds, significantly impacting the market.

“Retailers could see major gains from this simple shift in consumer behavior.”