Widespread cold weather across much of the country influenced retail activity this week, with food retailers emphasizing ingredients commonly used in warm, home-cooked meals. Vegetables featured prominently in weekly advertisements, particularly mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, leafy greens, broccoli, and tomatoes. Onions and potatoes across all types were also widely promoted. In the fruit category, imported cherries appeared most frequently in advertisements, followed by blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
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Total retail advertisement placements reached 291,957, up 5% from last week's 276,958. Compared with the same week last year, ad volume was 9% higher, when totals stood at 268,583. By commodity group, fruit accounted for 155,994 ads, representing 53% of the total. Vegetables followed with 106,199 ads, or 36%, while onions and potatoes totaled 23,470 ads, or 8%. Other categories included herbs with 1,319 ads, ornamentals with 2,076, hemp with 2,539, and honey with 1,679. Organic produce accounted for 41,591 ads, representing 14% of all listings.
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Price comparisons for items with more than 3,000 advertisements were mixed when measured against the same week last year. Among fruits, blueberries in 1-pint packs recorded a price increase of 25%, round mangoes rose 17%, and raspberries in 6-ounce packs increased 12%. Price declines were observed for red cherries at 11% and pineapples at 10%.
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For onions and potatoes, no major price changes were reported year-on-year. Vegetable pricing remained generally stable, with no notable increases recorded. Some decreases were observed, including red bell peppers at 20%, green cabbage at 13%, and green bell peppers sold individually at 12%.
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Overall, retail data for the week reflected higher ad volumes and selective price movement across produce categories, with vegetables and certain fruits remaining central to consumer purchasing patterns during the colder period.
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