(Photo by Ashley Nickle)
A study from the Hass Avocado Board found that, while millennial households remain a significant driver for the category, more growth is happening among non-millennial households.
More than 60% of millennial households purchased avocados in 2018 compared to 51% of non-millennial households, according to the study. Millennials spent $453 million on avocados in the last year — bringing that group’s share of avocado purchases to 27.5% — while non-millennials accounted for more than $1.1 billion in avocado purchases.
However, purchases by non-millennial households in 2018 grew 8.4% while purchases by millennials dropped by 7.2%. The same trend presents when considering average annual spend among households that buy the fruit. Millennials come in at $24.99, but their average spend decreased 7.9% in 2018 while the average spend of non-millennials grew 2.6%.
Frequency of purchase is the same for both groups — 6.9 trips per year — but frequency increased 13.5% for non-millennial households compared to 9.2% for millennial households. Spend per trip declined for both groups, with a greater drop among millennials (15.7%) than among non-millennials (9.6%).
“Millennial households are clearly a high-value segment of the avocado category on a per household basis, and this study details the avocado purchase behaviors that are driving their impact,” HAB wrote in the report. “However, non-millennial households are starting to close the gap as they become more involved in the category. Leveraging the insights in this study can help marketers and retailers enhance strategies aimed at expanding sales of Hass avocados in the marketplace.”