Retailers highlighted seasonal celebrations such as graduations and Father's Day this week by promoting a wide range of festive produce. Both conventional and organic fruits received strong advertising attention, particularly peaches, nectarines, cherries, cantaloupes, and watermelons.
To appeal to summer shoppers, many store chains featured convenience items like trays of burger fixings—containing onions, lettuce, and tomatoes—as well as pre-made kabobs with zucchini, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers. Other grilling-friendly vegetables also proved popular, including sweet onions, corn, asparagus, and Portobello mushrooms. Floral and seasonal departments offered themed arrangements and gifts designed to mark the occasions.
The total number of advertised items this week reached 272,793, representing a 1 percent increase from last week's total of 269,480. However, this figure is 12 percent lower than the same week last year, which saw 308,356 ads.
Of this week's total ads, 56 percent (152,975 ads) featured fruit, 35 percent (96,896 ads) featured vegetables, and 7 percent (18,461 ads) focused on onions and potatoes. Other categories included 996 ads for herbs, 1,198 for ornamentals, and 3,263 for hemp. Organic produce accounted for 43,034 ads, making up 16 percent of all advertising activity.
Price comparisons for major advertised items (with over 3,000 ads) revealed notable year-on-year changes. Among fruits, red cherries increased by 38 percent, seedless red grapes by 32 percent, round mangoes by 17 percent, and both blueberries (1 pint) and organic strawberries rose by 11 percent. In contrast, prices for white and yellow peaches dropped by 12 percent, and white nectarines decreased by 11 percent.
Among vegetables, asparagus prices rose by 18 percent, and packaged salad (5–9 oz.) increased by 11 percent. The only significant price decrease noted was for long seedless cucumbers, which fell by 19 percent. There were no substantial price changes reported for potatoes and onions.
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