Retailers offered a wide range of promotions this week, focusing on religious holidays such as Lent, Easter, and Passover, as well as major sporting events like basketball and baseball games.
Among vegetables, corn, asparagus, potatoes, carrots, beets, leeks, onions, and mushrooms were the most heavily advertised. Citrus fruits were widely promoted, with tangerines being the most advertised fruit of the week. Berries—particularly strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and blackberries—were popular for healthy snacking and springtime desserts. As warmer weather begins in parts of the country, imported summer fruits such as cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches, and nectarines also featured prominently in ads. Additionally, Easter lilies made their first appearance in promotional materials this week.
Total ad numbers reached 284,354, a 1% increase from last week's total of 282,595. Compared to the same week last year, this represents a 2% increase over the total of 277,695. Of these ads, 55% were for fruit (155,313), 35% for vegetables (99,701), and 8% for onions and potatoes (23,168). Smaller ad volumes included 952 for herbs, 985 for ornamentals, and 5,187 for hemp. Organic produce made up 13% of all ads, with 38,367 ads promoting organic items.
In terms of price changes for heavily advertised items (3,000 or more ads), the only significant increase for fruit was for cantaloupes, which rose 12% compared to the same week last year. Notable price decreases included white seedless grapes, down 30%; red seedless grapes, down 12%; Navel oranges (per pound), down 14%; and yellow mangoes, down 10%. For onions and potatoes, the only significant change was a 10% decrease in the price of Russet potatoes (per pound). There were no notable price increases for vegetables, but long seedless cucumbers saw a 20% decrease.
Overall, the combination of holiday celebrations and seasonal transitions drove strong promotional activity across a wide range of fresh produce items this week.
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