Jul 9, 2025Retail potato sales volume increases despite drop in dollar sales
U.S. retail sales of potatoes increased despite a small drop in dollar sales during the nine-month period from July 2024 to March 2025.
Sales increased 2.3% by volume compared to the same period last year, according to data compiled from retailers by market research company Circana for Potatoes USA. Dollar sales for the nine-month span dropped 0.5% to $14.72 billion.
Sales volume from July 2024-March 2025 increased for fresh potatoes (2%), chips (2.6%) and frozen potatoes (4.9%). Sales volume declined for deli-prepared sides (4.5%) and dehydrated potatoes (2.7%).
Dollar sales rose for potato chips (1.6%) and refrigerated/deli potatoes (2.3%), but declined most significantly for fresh potatoes (4.7%) and dehydrated potatoes (3.2%).
Price and pack size
Consumer prices for potatoes fell each quarter of this period (July-September 2024, October-December 2024, January-March 2025) compared to the same quarters the year prior. The average retail price for all potatoes declined 2.8% from July 2024 to March 2025 to $2.26 per pound, driven by a 6.6% price drop in fresh potatoes to $0.89 per pound.
Among fresh types, russet prices fell the most at 13.6%. Only refrigerated/deli potatoes (1.5%) and deli-prepared sides (1.9%) saw price increases.
Volume sales grew for all fresh potato pack sizes except for 5-pound packs and those greater than 10 pounds. Volume sales for 8-pound packs grew the most (18.5%), followed by 2- to 4-pound packs (10.8%) and packs between 1 and less than 2 pounds (+6.4%). Both volume sales (27.1%) and dollar sales (11.4%) fell for packs over 10 pounds.
Sales by fresh type
Sales varied by type within the fresh category. Russets (4.3%), yellows (3.9%), and petites (7.3%) all saw volume increases, while reds (14%), whites (3.2%), medleys (7.6%), and purple potatoes (9.3%) all saw volume decreases.
Overall fresh potato dollar sales decreased 4.7%, reflecting lower retail prices. Dollar sales increased for yellows (5.7%), petites (3.4%), and fingerlings (2.4%) but declined for russets (9.9%), whites (11.9%), reds (8.8%), purples (8.5%) and medleys (2.9%).
Consumer prices dip
Consumer prices fell for fresh potatoes as well as potato chips, frozen potatoes and dehydrated potatoes from July 202 to March 2025. Prices of chips dropped 0.96% to $6.61 per pound compared to the same period the year prior, while frozen potatoes fell 4.8% to $2.20 per pound and dehydrated potatoes fell 0.5% to $5.15 per pound.
Categories with the largest price increases during the period were refrigerated potatoes (1.5% to $3.25 per pound) and deli-prepared sides (1.9% to $1.20 per pound).
