Aug 17, 2021

Retail potatoes show solid numbers for fiscal year end

From July 2020-June 2021, U.S. potato sales increased in dollars by 3% but declined slightly in volume by 0.3% compared to the previous July-June marketing year.

The elevated purchasing in 2020 led to a slight decline in overall volume, three categories fell in volume sales from July 2020-June 2021. However, compared to sales prior to the pandemic buying cycle shows an increase in value and volume. Consumers bought 577 million more pounds of potatoes from July 2020-June 2021 than July 2018-June 2019.

• Refrigerated potatoes had the largest increase compared to the same period the previous year of 10.6% increase in dollars and a 5.3% increase in volume.
• Frozen potatoes kept a stronghold on sales, with dollar and volume sales increasing by 6.3% and 4.6%, respectively, even with an increase in overall average pricing.
• Deli-prepared sides increased compared to the same period in 2019 and 2020, but have still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
• The two largest volume driving categories — chips and fresh potatoes — increased in dollar sales but both fell in volume by 1.8%.

The decline in fresh sales was largely impacted by a decline in russet sales, which fell by 3% in dollars and 3.4% in volume. Russets make up 60% of the volume share of fresh sales. The second-largest fresh category, red potatoes, also fell in dollars by 3.1% and volume by 1.9%. However, yellow potatoes increased by 9.7% and volume by 7%. Additionally, petite and medley potatoes increased by double-digits in value and volume. One through four-pound bags of potatoes were the only pack sizes that grew with an 11.5% increase in dollars and a 7.4% increase in volume.

These figures were compiled by IRI and published by Potatoes USA.