Healthy eating themes featured prominently in retail promotions this week, supported by the wide availability of fresh produce across multiple categories. New-crop items such as Chilean cherries, Florida strawberries, and Texas grapefruit were among the key seasonal offerings. Retailers also highlighted produce linked to bowl game gatherings, including avocados and cilantro for guacamole, as well as snack tray staples such as baby carrots, berries, grapes, and broccoli.
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Winter citrus promotions continued to expand, with Cara Cara navels, dekopons, blood oranges, and pummelos featured alongside standard citrus varieties.
Total advertised produce items for the week reached 254,802, representing a 15 percent decline from the previous week's total of 298,838. Compared with the same week last year, total ad volume was down 12 percent from 289,415.
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By commodity group, fruit accounted for 138,759 ads, or 54 percent of the total. Vegetables followed with 87,742 ads, representing 34 percent. Onions and potatoes accounted for 21,466 ads, or 8 percent. Herbs totaled 2,118 ads, ornamentals 1,242, hemp 3,069, and honey 2,524. Organic produce was featured in 44,488 ads, accounting for 17 percent of total advertised items.
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Price comparisons for major advertised items with at least 3,000 ads showed limited movement in several categories compared with the same week last year. Among fruit, limes posted a notable price increase of 27 percent. Price declines were reported for avocados sold by the unit, down 34 percent, white seedless grapes sold per pound, down 12 percent, and four-pound bags of navel oranges, also down 12 percent.
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There were no major price changes reported for potatoes or onions during the period. In the vegetable category, collards sold per bunch increased by 42 percent, while cucumbers sold by the unit rose 11 percent. No significant price decreases were observed for vegetables this week.
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