FreshPlaza: spring ads up 4%
- FreshPlaza, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said spring produce promotions rose to 256,370 ads this week as strawberries, tangerines and grapes led. - The biggest pricing moves were an 18% drop for one-pound strawberries, a 10% rise for red seedless grapes, and 22% higher sweet onions. - Ad totals still trailed the same week last year by 11%, despite this week’s seasonal pickup. (freshplaza.com)
U.S. grocery produce promotions rose 4% this week as retailers pushed spring fruit and grilling vegetables into weekly ads. (freshplaza.com) (ams.usda.gov) The U.S. Department of Agriculture counted 256,370 produce ads for the period ending April 30, up from 245,848 a week earlier. The survey covers more than 270 retailers and over 29,000 stores. (ams.usda.gov) (mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov) Strawberries, tangerines and red seedless grapes were among the most-promoted items, while yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers and sweet onions showed up for early grilling season. (freshplaza.com) (ams.usda.gov) Retailers also started building holiday displays into those circulars. The USDA report said Cinco de Mayo items included Roma tomatoes, white onions, jalapenos, cilantro, avocados and jicama, while Mother’s Day mentions appeared in several flyers. (ams.usda.gov) Fruit dominated the ad mix at 138,444 listings, or 54% of the total, while vegetables accounted for 87,251 ads, or 34%. Organic produce made up 35,568 ads, equal to 14% of all promotions. (ams.usda.gov) The pricing picture was mixed. Compared with the same week last year, one-pound strawberries were advertised 18% cheaper and avocados 31% cheaper, while red seedless grapes were 10% higher and sweet yellow onions 22% higher. (ams.usda.gov) Even with this week’s increase, total produce ad volume remained below last year’s level. The USDA said the same week in 2025 logged 286,884 ads, 11% more than this year’s total. (ams.usda.gov) That leaves shoppers with a spring pattern that is heavy on fruit promotions, early-summer vegetables and holiday meal ingredients. For retailers, the next two weeks are likely to bring a bigger Mother’s Day push than this report showed. (freshplaza.com) (ams.usda.gov)
