Between the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day, ad flyers were exciting. Fittingly, avocados and strawberries were the most-advertised items this week. Jalapenos, Roma tomatoes, cilantro, lemons, limes, and onions were promoted along with other football-watching essentials. Berries, roses, and tulips were the sweethearts of Valentine's Day promotions. At least one retailer focused on Black History Month by promoting minority-owned brands. Some retailers posted disclaimers about the potential for unavailability of certain items, while other stores announced that they were hiring.
Total ad numbers this week were 288,866, a 4% increase from last week's 278,186. The total for the same week last year was 3% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 129,488 (45% of all ads), onions and potatoes 27,561 (10%), vegetables 113,897 (39%), herbs 2,071, ornamentals 14,146 (5%), and hemp 1,703. The number of ads for organic produce was 36,949, 13% of total ads.
The following are the prices of major advertised items (3,000 plus stores) this week, compared to the same week last year. Significant increases in price for fruit this week included red seedless grapes at 34%, strawberries at 21%, lemons at 20%, and blackberries at 13%. Significant decreases included avocados at 18%.
There were no significant increases or decreases for onions and potatoes this week. Significant increases in price for vegetables this week included cucumbers at 38%, packaged salad (10-12 oz at 22%, 5-9 oz at 12%), and asparagus at 11%. There were no significant decreases.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov
