Retailers offered fewer sales this week as they took a break before the upcoming 4th of July promotion period. Peaches, nectarines, cherries, and grapes were some of the sweetest deals for shoppers looking for freshness on a budget. The bounty of new crop offerings didn't stop with fruit, as sweet corn, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, asparagus, and lettuce were available from local and region farms across the country. Many flyers featured 4th of July party supplies and fireworks.
Total ad numbers this week were 296,072, a 4% decrease from last week's total of 308,356. The total for the same week last year was 5% lower at 281,586. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 180,394 (61% of all ads), onions and potatoes 18,025 (6%), vegetables 92,601 (31%), herbs 1,472. The number of ads for organic produce was 45,424, 15% of total ads.
The following are the prices of major advertised items (3,000 plus ads) this week, compared to the same week last year. Significant increases in price for fruit this week included organic seedless grapes (red at 19% and white at 17%). Significant decreases included strawberries (1 lb.) at 20% and yellow peaches at 16%. There were no significant changes in price for potatoes and onions this week. There were no significant increases in price for vegetables this week. Significant decreases included on-the-vine tomatoes at 16% and sweet corn at 14%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov