New Research Reveals How Shoppers Drove $500 Million in Strawberry Category Gains
January 15, 2026 | 3 min to read
California Strawberry Commission’s 2025 Shopper Playbook Shares Strategies for Retail Growth
Watsonville, CA – The California Strawberry Commission (CSC) has released new research into retail sales drivers and the strawberry shopper path to purchase. The 2025 Strawberry Shopper Playbook provides marketers and industry professionals with actionable data and strategic recommendations to optimize strawberry merchandising and drive category growth.
Based on in-depth syndicated retail sales data and quantitative Path-to-Purchase research, the new guide provides a comprehensive view of the strawberry purchase journey. From pre-store preferences to post-purchase behaviors, it highlights retail sales insights, the drivers that inspire purchases, and the barriers that prevent them, helping retailers engage with today’s strawberry shopper.
“Strawberries remain a powerhouse in the produce department, driving both volume and dollar growth in the berry category,” said Chris Christian, Vice President, Market Insights at the California Strawberry Commission. “Our new merchandising research offers a clear view of what’s driving category growth and offers strategies retailers can use to inspire more purchases year-round.”
Key findings1 from the research include:
- Strawberries Lead Berry Category Growth: Volume rose +8% year-over-year, representing 60% of total berry category volume and driving 61% of incremental growth (+123 million lbs.).
- Dollar Sales Soar: Category dollars grew +10%,adding nearly $500 million in incremental sales.
- Strong Promotional Impact: During the 52-week period, about 52% of strawberry volume was sold on promotion, generating a +36% volume lift on an average discount of –22%.
- 32 oz. Pack Drives Category Expansion: The 32 oz. package accounted for 68% of incremental sales and delivered +20% dollar growth, adding $332 million in revenue.
The 2025 Strawberry Shopper Playbook also highlights shopper motivations, purchase drivers and opportunities to close the gaps between today’s rising shopper expectations and the in-store experience, helping the industry strengthen execution and maintain shopper confidence.
“This playbook provides retailers, shippers, and industry partners with the data-backed insights needed to optimize their strategies and capitalize on the momentum of the strawberry category,” said Christian.
The 2025 Strawberry Shopper Playbook is now available for download on the California Strawberry Commission’s retail resource page at https://www.californiastrawberries.com/retail.
1CSC State of the Category, 52 weeks ending 7/13/2025 vs. PY
About the California Strawberry Commission
The California Strawberry Commission represents more than 400 strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors, all working together to advance strawberry farming for the future of our land and people. Commission programs create opportunities for success through groundbreaking programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Through science-based information and education, it delivers good news about sustainable farming practices that benefit the health of people, farms, and communities.