As consumers increasingly want to know where their food is coming from and what’s being added to it, many are gravitating toward organic products. And, the fresh area of the store is a key destination for organic foods. Whether branded, unbranded or private label, consumers have an abundance of choice when it comes to the selection of in-store organic products.
Through 2017, a variety of fresh products (e.g., produce, meat and deli-prepared beverages) landed in the Top 10 categories of purchases by U.S. consumers in 2017, according to research presented by Chicago-based Nielsen. In fact, packaged salads led the way in 2017, with dollar sales reaching nearly $900 million in the 52 weeks ended Oct. 28. While the increase was less than 2%, the incremental gain represents more than $16 million in total sales.
For top performing retailers, organic contribution to the total fresh department continues to grow, and remains a key factor that helps top performing retailers continue strong growth as well. With that in mind, here are the top fresh organic sales categories that U.S. consumers purchased in 2017.
- Packaged salad $898 million
- Berries $565 million
- Chicken $313 million
- Herbs, spices and seasonings $291 million
- Apples $288 million
- Beverages $266 million
- Carrots $255 million
- Bananas $221 million
- Value-added vegetables $175 million
- Lettuce $168 million
