MISSION VIEJO, CA – St. Patrick’s Day drove higher avocado volume as shown by the recently released holiday retail recap report from the Hass Avocado Board (HAB). The report details the retail dollar sales, volume, and average sale price for Hass avocados during the Big Game, Valentine’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day holiday weeks. The retail recap reported sales volume and retail dollar sales reached 51.9 million units and $52.2 million during the dual holiday week of the Big Game and Valentine’s Day and 45.1 million units and $45.4 million during St. Patrick’s Day. Avocado volume during St. Patrick’s Day grew by 20% vs. the prior year, adding +7.4 million units to the category during the holiday week.
To equip the entire industry for success, HAB produces quarterly reports about national holiday retail sales performance. The avocado holiday retail recaps provide insightful retail sales information for category managers, marketers, retailers, and industry leaders as they plan their marketing strategy for the upcoming calendar year. The information below offers a brief snapshot of each holiday’s sales, volume, and average sales price information.
Key highlights from the report include:
Big Game and Valentine’s Day
- The Big Game and Valentine’s Day fell during the same week this year. Avocado dollar sales during the dual holidays reached $52.2 million, lower than the prior year due in part to a lower average sale price of $1.01/unit. Compared to 2020, the dual event grew by +3% in dollar sales.
- Similarly, avocado unit sales remained relatively flat at 51.9 million units during the dual event week compared to the prior year. Avocado units did grow +36% for Valentine’s Day vs. 2020, bolstered by its proximity to the Big Game in recent years.
- The Plains region showed the highest volume growth for the holiday week posting an increase of +15% in unit sales vs. the prior year. The West, Midsouth, South Central, and Southeast regions also posted unit gains for the dual holiday week.
- Nationally, avocado retailers saw average weekly sales of $1,385 and 1,375 units per store during the Big Game and Valentine’s Day week. Per store, sales and units were highest in the West.
- Extra-Large avocado units were up by +58% during the dual holiday week. Together Large and Extra-Large PLUs contributed an additional +4.6 million units to the category vs. 2022.
St. Patrick’s Day
- Avocado Unit sales rose to 45.1 million units, up 20% vs. 2022 during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
- Avocado dollars decreased by -15% to $45.4 million during the holiday week compared to the previous year while the total U.S. avocado average sell price fell -29% to $1.01/unit.
- All regions contributed to the unit growth of avocados, up $7.4 million units, with the Great Lakes region contributing 40% at +1.6 million units to the category.
- Bagged avocados made up 29% of category units during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. Large, Extra-Large, and bagged avocados posted double-digit unit growth for the holiday.
HAB releases a holiday recap each quarter, covering avocado sales trends for the corresponding holidays and events. The retail recap report details sales data for the United States during specified holiday weeks, providing insightful information for future holiday promotion planning. For more information about avocado sales for each holiday, visit hassavocadoboard.com.
About The Hass Avocado Board
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) exists to help make avocados America’s most popular fruit. HAB is the only avocado organization that equips the entire global industry for success by collecting, focusing and distributing investments to maintain and expand demand for avocados in the United States. HAB provides the industry with consolidated supply and market data, conducts nutrition research, educates health professionals, and brings people together from all corners of the industry to collectively work towards growth that benefits everyone. The organization also collects and reallocates funds to California and importer associations to benefit specific countries of origin in promoting their avocado brands to customers and consumers across the United States.
