Feb 11, 2021Potato sales in retail sector see boon during pandemic year
Total potato sales at retail were at five-year record highs for both dollar and volume sales in 2020.
Dollar sales increased by 16% compared to 2019 and all categories, except deli-prepared sides, grew by double-digit dollar sales.
Dehydrated potatoes recorded the highest sales increases in dollars by 30% and volume sales by 25%.
Canned and bottled potatoes saw the second-largest dollar increase at 29%, and frozen potatoes had the second-largest volume increase at 23%. Frozen dollar sales were up 27% to $2.063 billion.
Chips are the largest category in the retail sector both in terms of dollar sales and volume. Dollar sales were up 11.1% in 2020 to $6.628 billion and volume was up 6% to 5.370 billion pounds.
The largest growth in dollar and volume sales for potatoes occurred from April through June, although all months grew by over 9% for both metrics.
Fresh retail
Fresh potato sales increased by almost 21% in dollars and 15% in volume. All types increased in dollar and volume sales by at least 6%. Within the fresh potato category, medley potatoes had the highest dollar and volume sales increase with dollar sales by 34% and volume sales by 38%. While all package sizes saw double-digit growth in dollar sales, one-pound through four-pound bags saw the largest increase, growing by 24% in dollars and 19% in volume. Five-pound bags make up 47% of all package sizes bought at retail, and grew in dollars and volume sales by double-digits compared to 2019.
These figures are compiled by IRI.
— Potatoes USA
