St. Patrick’s Day drove higher avocado volume as shown by the recently released holiday retail recap report from the Hass Avocado Board (HAB). The report details the retail dollar sales, volume and average sale price for Hass avocados during the Big Game, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day holiday weeks. The retail recap reported sales volume and retail dollar sales reached 51.9 million units and $52.2 million during the dual holiday week of the Big Game and Valentine’s Day and 45.1 million units and $45.4 million during St. Patrick’s Day. Avocado volume during St. Patrick’s Day grew by 20 percent vs. the prior year, adding +7.4 million units to the category during the holiday week.
To equip the entire industry for success, HAB produces quarterly reports about national holiday retail sales performance. The information below offers a brief snapshot of each holiday’s sales, volume and average sales price information.
Key highlights include:
Big Game and Valentine’s Day
- The Big Game and Valentine’s Day fell during the same week this year. Avocado dollar sales during the holidays reached $52.2 million, lower than the prior year due in part to a lower average sale price of $1.01/unit. Compared to 2020, the dual event grew by +3 percent in dollar sales.
- Avocado unit sales remained relatively flat at 51.9 million units during the dual event week compared to the prior year. Avocado units did grow +36 percent for Valentine’s Day vs. 2020, bolstered by its proximity to the Big Game in recent years.
- The Plains region showed the highest volume growth for the holiday week posting an increase of +15 percent in unit sales vs. the prior year. The West, Midsouth, South Central and Southeast regions also posted unit gains for the dual holiday week.
- Nationally, avocado retailers saw average weekly sales of $1,385 and 1,375 units per store during the Big Game and Valentine’s Day week.
- Extra-Large avocado units were up by +58 percent during the dual holiday week. Large and Extra-Large PLUs contributed an additional +4.6 million units to the category vs. 2022.
St. Patrick’s Day
- Avocado unit sales rose to 45.1 million units, up 20 percent vs. 2022 during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
- Avocado dollars decreased by -15 percent to $45.4 million during the holiday week compared to the previous year while the total U.S. avocado average sell price fell -29 percent to $1.01/unit.
- All regions contributed to the unit growth of avocados, up $7.4 million units, with the Great Lakes region contributing 40 percent at +1.6 million units to the category.
- Bagged avocados made up 29 percent of category units during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. Large, Extra-Large and bagged avocados posted double-digit unit growth for the holiday.
For more information:
Lecia Rdzak
Hass Avocado Board
Tel: +1 (818) 718-8084
lrdzak@gowithfusion.com
www.hassavocadoboard.com