It may be April Fool's Day, but retailers were serious about specials on holiday favorites this week. Apple and grape juices, honey, leeks, apples, beets, and chestnuts were featured for Passover celebrations. Ads for pineapples, asparagus, carrots, mini watermelons, zucchini, cantaloupes, grapes, and berries were abundant as shoppers began to stock up for Easter dinners. Easter lilies, tulips, candy, décor, and bakery goods added a bright holiday flair to store aisles.
Total ad numbers this week were 295,908, a 6% increase from last week's 278,546. The total for the same week last year was 10% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 160,232 (49% of all ads), onions and potatoes 19,426 (6%), vegetables 112,160 (34%), herbs 1,800, ornamentals 1,989, and hemp 301. The number of ads for organic produce was 36,814, 11% 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 seedless grapes (black at 67%, red at 18%), avocados at 57%, apple juice at 42%, pineapples at 33%, and strawberries at 28%.
Significant decreases included only white seedless grapes at 18%. Significant increases in price for onions and potatoes this week included only a 18% increase for round red potatoes. There were no significant decreases. Significant increases in price for vegetables this
week included asparagus at 41%, packaged salad (5-9 oz at 23%, 10-12 oz at 18%), zucchini at 17%, and green bell peppers at 14%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov