Analysis of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Sales at Retail

Joe Watson VP of Retail, Foodservice & Wholesale International Fresh Produce Association headshot "While seeing flat to down comp sales is not what I was hoping for, I want to stress that the final week of June was the main culprit. The Friday timing of the holiday without a doubt pushed a little more of July Fourth’ sales into the first week of July than it did last year. That said, the year-on-year pound decrease in vegetables is ongoing and seen across quite a few categories instead of just a handful. Quality, price, relevant promotions and eye-catching displays remain key. Displays don’t have to be large, but they have to be impactful to solidify planned purchases and inspire impromptu ones."

- Joe Watson, IFPA’s VP of Retail, Foodservice and Wholesale

June 2025

What's New

Consumer Sentiment Rebounds; Summer Routines Start Up

After plateauing in May, consumer sentiment improved in June 2025, according to the University of Michigan. The index increased to 60.7 points from 52.2 points in May. The improvement was seen across numerous facets of the economy, with expectations for personal finances and business conditions climbing about 20% or more. Despite June’s gains, sentiment remains about 18% below December 2024.
Several publicly-traded retail and foodservice companies added language on tariffs in the risk sections of their annual and quarterly reporting. Consumer sentiment relative to tariffs held steady in May after support fell for several months over concerns regarding their potential impact on prices, product availability and employment.

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The Consumer Price Index rose 2.4% year-over-year in May, according to federal data, mostly unchanged from April. Consumer food costs increased 2.9%, including 3.8% for restaurants. Already starting a higher price point, the above-average increases for foodservice means a continued retail-centric meal landscape for most consumers.
Holidays remain a time to splurge a little. The week leading up to Father’s Day (6/15) was the biggest of the four June weeks, at $18.6 billion in total food and beverage spending.
Grilling and cookouts are front and center between Memorial and Labor Day, with many opportunities for fresh produce to tap into what has become quite the season. This includes veggie kabobs, corn, watermelon and other summer fruit as well as portabellas. According to the Mushroom Council, portabella sales start gearing up post Mother’s Day and consistently over index during all the summer weeks through Labor Day. Locally-sourced produce also gains momentum post Mother’s Day.