Potatoes are a powerhouse for retail ads

Retail ads for potatoes accounted for 6% of all ads for conventional produce the week of Nov. 29, the USDA National Retail Report says.

That trailed only apples, which accounted for 8% of all produce ads. Other commodities with substantial ads representation included tangerines (5%), onions (4%), oranges (4%), cranberries (4%), sweetpotatoes (4%), squash (4%) and salad (3%).

The USDA reported that potatoes accounted for 6% of organic ads the week of Nov. 29, trailing only apples (21%), carrots (7%) and salad (7%).

The USDA reported 2,649 retail stores promoting 5-pound bags of russet potatoes on Nov. 29, up 27% from the same week a year ago. The average promoted price for 5-pound bags of russet potatoes on Nov. 29 was $3.18, up 12% from $2.83 a year ago.

The report said 409 stores promoted russet potatoes by the pound on Nov. 29, down 67% from 1,222 stores promoting the same week a year ago. The average advertised price per pound for russets was 79 cents on Nov. 29, down 7% from 85 cents per pound the same week a year ago.

Retail stores promoting yellow potatoes in 5-pound bags totaled 2,961 stores on Nov. 29, up 45% from 2,030 stores the same week a year ago. The average advertised price for 5-pound bags of yellow potatoes was $3.16 on November 29, unchanged from the same week a year ago.

The USDA reported that retailers promoting yellow potatoes by the pound totaled 357 stores on Nov. 29, up 79% from 199 stores the same week a year ago. The average price per pound price for yellow potatoes was reported by the USDA at $1.55 on Nov. 29, up 99% from the same week a year ago.

Retailers promoting round red potatoes in 5-pound bags totaled 1,447 stores, down 41% from 2,449 stores promoting the pack the same week a year ago. The average promoted price for 5-pound bags of red potatoes was $3.39, down 9% from the same week a year ago.

The USDA reported that 220 stores promoted round white potatoes sold by the pound, down 14% from 255 stores the same week a year ago. The average promoted price for round white potatoes sold by the pound was $1.14, up 27% from 90 cents the same week a year ago.