Fall and Winter Holidays Drive Higher Avocado Sales

MISSION VIEJO, CA  –  Holiday avocado sales continued to grow as shoppers purchased a record number of fresh Hass avocados during the 2020 fall and winter holidays. The Hass Avocado Board’s recently published Q4 holiday retail report indicates that Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve all reached record-high volume and drove a combined 187 million units in retail sales. The holiday report provides insightful information for retailers, category managers, and industry leaders as they plan holiday promotions and look for opportunities for avocado sales growth in the upcoming year. 

The information below provides a snapshot of key data points for each holiday:

Halloween

  • Avocado sales reached a 4-year high of $46.3M and 48.4M units
  • Nationally, Avocado dollar sales increased +8%, while volume grew +21% vs. prior year
  • All eight regions in the U.S. grew in volume, and six of the eight regions grew in dollar sales, with Northeast at a national high dollar growth rate of +17%
  • Average selling price/unit ranged from $1.19 in California to $0.71 in South Central, while average selling price decreased in all regions except California

Thanksgiving

  • Avocado unit sales reached a 4-year high of 38.6M
  • Most regions saw a volume increase, while four regions experienced double-digit growth. Plains had the highest increase at +19%
  • On average, avocado retailers saw sales of 409 units and sales of $382 per store for the
    holiday week
  • Average selling price/unit ranged from $0.66 in the South Central region to a high of $1.22
    in California

Christmas

  • Avocado unit sales reached 43.2M, a 4-year high for the holiday
  • Nationally, volume increased +17% over the prior year
  • Dollar sales held strong at $39.5M with an average $418 per store during the holiday week
  • All eight regions saw volume growth, with Plains up +38%, which drove a total U.S. volume growth of +6.2M units
  • Nationwide, average price for Christmas week decreased -15% to $0.91/unit. Average selling price ranged from $0.70/unit in South Central to $1.12/unit in the Northeast                                                      

New Year’s Eve

  • Avocado volume showed a unit increase of +35% vs. prior year bringing unit sales to 56.8M
  • Dollar sales increased by 19%, reaching $47.5M in dollar sales
  • Avocado retailers saw sales of 601 units and $503 per store during the holiday week
  • All eight regions showed dollar growth and double-digit volume growth
  • Average sales price decreased -12% nationwide to $0.84/unit

The Hass Avocado Board releases a holiday recap each quarter, covering avocado sales trends for the corresponding holidays and events. The Hass Avocado Board 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.

About The Hass Avocado Board

The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) exists to help make avocados America’s most popular fruit.  HAB is the only avocado organization that equips the entire global industry for success by collecting, focusing and distributing investments to maintain and expand demand for avocados in the United States. HAB provides the industry with consolidated supply and market data, conducts nutrition research, educates health professionals, and brings people together from all corners of the industry to collectively work towards growth that benefits everyone.  The organization also collects and reallocates funds to California and importer associations to benefit specific countries of origin in promoting their avocado brands to customers and consumers across the United States.