Potatoes USA says while fresh potatoes are the No. 3 seller in produce department dollar sales, according to Circana data, there is still opportunity for growth.
To help grocers seize the full potential of potatoes, Potatoes USA has released a new educational series, “Powered by Potatoes,” filled with fresh data and actionable recommendations.
“Fresh potatoes are the [No. 1] selling vegetable accounting for more than 10% of all vegetable sales, but this is not their ceiling of opportunity,” 210 Analytics founder Anne-Marie Roerink said in a news release, citing Circana data. “There are pockets of opportunity throughout the fresh potato category retailers can leverage to drive renewed pound growth.”
Individuals can register online to access the education series, with content including:
- The 30-minute “Unearthing Opportunities in Fresh Potato Sales at Retail” webinar, featuring Roerink and Marissa Stein, Potatoes USA’s director of marketing. This webinar offers exclusive retail data to help unlock opportunities in the produce department.
- An email education program with tips to bring the webinar’s suggestions to life.
The series offers details such as:
- Russet potatoes generate more than 50% of fresh potato sales. In 2023, yellow potatoes surpassed reds as the second-largest seller with a 6.7%-pound increase in 2023, according to data from Circana.
- Five-pound bags represent 51% of fresh potato pound sales. However, smaller pack sizes are seeing steady growth. Roerink noted the smaller 1-pound and less-than-2-pound packs and 2- to 4-pound packs now represent 12% of pound sales.
- Potatoes feature 85% household penetration and few demographic differences in household purchasing statistics, according to data from Circina. “We encourage retailers to also look to ‘opportunity households’ who do buy potatoes, but far less often,” Roerink added. “These include one-person, Asian and Gen Z households.”