Shoppers celebrated the holidays during the second quarter with a variety of avocado dishes generating retail sales for Easter, Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day. Each holiday had an increase in dollar sales of 6 percent or more over the prior year. Cinco de Mayo dollar sales reached $64.3 million, up 58 percent from 2016 sales.
“Cinco de Mayo has traditionally been associated with avocados,” said Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board. “Shoppers are recognizing the versatility and nutritional value of Hass avocados, which is helping increase sales during nontraditional avocado holidays.”
To leverage this trend, the Hass Avocado Board promotes the nutrient-dense, heart-healthy avocado through its Love One Today website that can help consumers find avocado recipes and nutritional information. Consumers can find recipes to celebrate every holiday. And by adding a Hass avocado into their diet, consumers can get nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients per 50-gram serving.
Easter was the first holiday of the quarter and Hass avocados were added to many shopping baskets with national avocado sales increasing to $54 million during the week of the holiday. Easter week dollar sales have increased each year for the past four years, up 47 percent vs. 2016.
From guacamole to grilled fajita salad with avocados, friends and family celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a variety of avocado dishes. This year, dollar sales reached $64.3 million posting gains in each of the past four years. Additionally, record avocado sales kicked off summer with Memorial Day dollar sales topping $57 million, an increase of 41 percent vs. 2016.
“The holidays are a great time to promote avocados at retail as they make a delicious and healthy addition to every dish and celebration,” said Escobedo.
The Hass Avocado Board releases a holiday recap each quarter, covering avocado sales trends for the corresponding holidays and events. The reports provide the industry with up-to-date holiday insights to assist marketers and retailers with planning for next year’s holiday store promotions. HAB offers these insights and detailed retail information as the only avocado organization that equips the entire industry for success, with clear and actionable data and metrics that all can use to drive their avocado business. For more information about avocado sales for each holiday, visit hassavocadoboard.com.
