MISSION VIEJO, CA – This past summer, shoppers continued to celebrate the summer holidays with avocados. The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) recently released their Holiday and Events report for Q3 2018, detailing retail avocado category performance across the country for this past Father’s Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day. Fourth of July sales continued to grow, reaching a four-year high in 2018 of nearly $53 million in sales and 50 million in units. All regions showed very strong growth, ranging from +10 percent in the Great lakes to +54 percent in the Northeast.
“Avocados are being added to traditional summer fare including burgers and salads,” explains Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board. “We’re also seeing avocados show up in fresh new ways, such as in refreshing ice pops. Shoppers look for unique and delicious healthy options for summer holidays and Hass avocados are a perfect addition. Each year sales have been exceeding the previous year’s record highs as avocados become more mainstream.”
Retailers also saw avocado unit and dollar sales grow to four-year highs for Father’s Day, with nearly $52 million in avocado sales. The 2018 sales for Father’s Day topped 2015 sales by +33 percent in dollars and +27 percent in units. The Southeast showed a significantly higher dollar sales growth rate than any other region at +25 percent.
Labor Day marked the last traditional summer holiday of the year, and avocados worked their way to a record-setting $51 million in sales. Nationally, Labor Day volume rose +32 percent to 38 million units with very strong, double-digit trends in all eight regions.
To get more in-depth information about avocado sales for each holiday, visit https://www.hassavocadoboard.com/retail/holidays-events. Sign up here for the Hass Avocado Board’s Hass Insights Newsletters to receive updates on current retail avocado trends delivered straight to your inbox.
About The Hass Avocado Board
The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) was established in 2002 to promote the consumption of Hass avocados in the United States. The Hass Avocado Board is committed to increasing awareness and providing industry leaders with fresh insights into this vibrant category. A 12-member board representing domestic producers and importers of Hass avocados directs HAB’s promotion, research and information programs under supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Hass avocados are grown in California and imported into the U.S. from Mexico, Chile, Peru, Dominican Republic and New Zealand.
