Retail advertising activity this week showed a strong emphasis on citrus, reflecting seasonal availability during the winter period. Advertised citrus items included both standard products such as lemons, limes, and oranges, as well as specialty citrus, including dekopons, blood oranges, Meyer lemons, pummelos, and Cara Cara oranges.
© USDA
Floral items were also widely featured, with tulips, daffodils, and potted hyacinths appearing across retail circulars. In addition, some retailers introduced early Valentine's Day-themed advertising, mainly focused on flowers, baked goods, and prepared meal concepts.
Total advertised items for the week reached 276,958, representing a 3 per cent increase compared with the previous week's total of 268,213. This figure was broadly in line with the same week last year, when total ads stood at 278,851.
© USDA
By commodity group, fruit accounted for 161,939 advertisements, equal to 58 per cent of the total. Vegetables followed with 85,124 ads, or 31 per cent. Onions and potatoes represented 24,525 ads, accounting for 9 per cent. Other categories included herbs with 675 ads, ornamentals with 1,752, hemp with 1,796, and honey with 1,822. Organic produce was featured in 35,418 ads, representing 13 per cent of total advertised items.
© USDA
Price comparisons for items with more than 3,000 advertisements showed mixed movements compared with the same week last year. Within fruit, advertised prices increased for blackberries in 5.6–6 oz packs by 12 per cent and for avocados by 10 per cent. Price declines were recorded for seedless grapes, with red varieties down 28 per cent and white varieties down 21 per cent.
© USDA
In the onions and potatoes category, the main price change was a 17 per cent increase for Russet potatoes in 5 lb bags. Vegetable pricing showed increases for broccoli crowns at 13 per cent and zucchini at 10 per cent. Declines were observed for tomatoes, with on-the-vine tomatoes down 31 per cent and Roma tomatoes down 17 per cent.
Overall, the advertising data indicate stable year-on-year volumes, with shifts in category focus and pricing reflecting seasonal production patterns and supply conditions.
To view the full report, click here.
For more information:
USDA
Tel: +1 202 720 2791
Email: [email protected]
www.mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov
