Over Half Of US Households Purchase Fresh Mushrooms

REDWOOD SHORES, CA – As a leader in the mushroom industry, the Mushroom Council has recently released a new study analyzing the latest mushroom shopper purchase trends. The Fresh Mushroom Fast Facts study provides key insights into the shopping behaviors that are driving fresh mushroom category growth. According to the study, over half of U.S. households purchased mushrooms in 2015. Nearly Four out of five purchasing households were repeat purchasers, buying mushrooms more than once during the year.

“A high level of repeat purchasers is exciting news for the category,” says Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “These mushroom lovers are more receptive to new varieties and new ways to use mushrooms, such as the Blend.”

The Blend initiative was created by the Mushroom Council to encourage chefs, consumers, food service operators and retailers to find new ways to use mushrooms. The Blend is a simple cooking technique that takes traditional recipes to the next level in terms of health and taste. Finely chopping mushrooms so that they’re the consistency of ground meat, combining the two and using them together to complete classic recipes is a simple way to make meals delicious and nutritious. Today’s mushroom shoppers average six mushroom buying trips per year and spend $2.69 per trip, for a total annual spend of $15.78 on fresh mushrooms. “If we can influence mushroom buyers to spend $1 more per year on mushrooms, that would translate to a +$66 million increase in annual fresh mushroom sales,” says Minor. “We are excited for the growth opportunities the Blend initiative presents for the industry.”

According to the Fresh Mushroom Fast Facts study based on data from the IRI National Consumer Panel, fresh mushroom buyers spent $15.78 per year on mushrooms.

To read more about the latest mushroom shopper trends and behaviors driving mushroom category growth, visit mushroomcouncil.org/retail-reports. To find out more about the Blend, visit mushroominfo.com/mushroom-blendability/

About The Mushroom Council

The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve.

Source: The Mushroom Council