Fresh produce retail sales in the US rose by 4.3 per cent in value terms last year, while volume fell by 1.1 per cent, according to the Nielsen Perishables Group and reported by The Packer.
The average price for all produce items was US$1.42, up 5.5 per cent from a year ago, said Steve Lutz, executive vice-president of the Chicago-based analyst, who explained that the sales increases have been driven by price increases since volume fell during the year.
Within the category, berries recorded the strongest increases last year, with sales up by 7.1 per cent in value and 3.7 per cent in volume terms during 2011.
Peppers also had a good year as sales rose by 5.7 per cent in value and 3.9 per cent in volume.
In addition, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables showed solid performance with packaged salads sales rebounding by 2.5 per cent and volume up by 0.2 per cent.
The melon category, however, saw a decline in sales value and volume on the back of the listeria outbreak with sales value and volume down by 2.4 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively.
Onions, meanwhile, recorded the biggest drop in sales value, falling by 9.4 per cent although volume was up 1 per cent.
Looking forward, Lutz said consumers will increasingly return to the fresh produce department as the US economy improves, depending on gas prices.
So far this year, average US prices for fresh produce are running 3 per cent to 4 per cent behind in comparison to the same period in 2011, although volume is up slightly and sales are tracking close to even, the report said.
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