Fresh Produce: U.S. Retail Market Trends and Opportunities

Fresh Produce: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities

Packaged Facts projects volume consumption of fresh produce will grow annually through 2021. The market for produce has experienced moderate growth in recent years as consumers have sought novel and fresh foods amid trends toward healthy eating. Additionally, vegetables and fruits are increasingly marketed as organic, non-GMO, and local, with new options available to consumers who look to environmental sustainability and nutritional content when purchasing foods. This new Packaged Facts report, Fresh Produce: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, identifies these and other trends influencing the fresh produce market, highlights key market opportunities, and reveals consumer attitudes that will help shape the market through 2021. Key players in the market – and the factors shaping their evolution – are also discussed.

Most of the population consumes fresh produce, although specific demographics can be targeted to boost sales. For instance, parents of young children want healthy foods to combat childhood obesity. Flexitarians are also a key market because they are likely to eat more fruits and vegetables than those who eat meat with every meal.

Scope of this Report

Fresh Produce: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities looks at the current and forecasted U.S. market for fresh fruits and vegetables. The discussion includes key trends driving consumer purchases within this food category, including demand for natural and organic products.

Methodology

Fresh Produce: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities encompasses consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables purchased from retail outlets such as convenience stores, supermarkets and other grocery stores, general merchandise stores (including warehouse clubs and supercenters), and specialty food stores. Sales by non-store retailers such as e-commerce and mail-order direct sellers are also included. Sources of market and consumer data consulted for this report include:

• government agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. International Trade Commission
• fruit and vegetable producers and representative trade associations
• a range of industry sources, including business newspapers and magazines, company websites, consumer blogs, press releases, and trade publications

Consumer data in this report come from two primary sources. The first source is the Packaged Facts National Online Consumer Survey, which includes a panel of 2,000 U.S. adults (age 18 and older) that is balanced to the national population on primary demographic measures such as age cohort, gender, geographic region, marital status, race/ethnicity, presence or absence of children in the household, and household income.

Another source of consumer data in this report is the Simmons National Consumer Study from Experian Marketing Services. On an ongoing basis, Experian Marketing Services conducts booklet-based surveys of large and randomly selected samples of consumers (approximately 25,000 for each 12-month survey compilation), which, as an aggregate, are intended to represent a statistically accurate cross-section of the U.S. population as a whole