Over the third quarter of Potatoes USA’s Marketing Year 2022 (January – March 2022), potato sales increased in USD by 7.2% but decreased in volume by 5%, compared to the same period in 2021.
“Elevated prices in grocery stores lead to an increase in dollar sales compared to 2021. Volume sales were below 2020 when panic buying started but remained higher than in 2019. Prices grew by 12.8% compared to 2021, averaging USD2.02 per pound for total store potatoes,” the latest Potatoes USA report shows.
With the large increase in USD and decline in volume, unit sales are now included in the sales reports for all potato categories.
Potato chips increased in USD by 11.9% and declined slightly in volume by 0.6%. However, unit sales increased by 0.2%, showing a decline in potato chip package sizes.
“All categories showed an increase in USD sales except for frozen potatoes. Frozen potatoes declined in USD, volume, and unit sales. On the opposite spectrum, canned potatoes increased in dollars, volume, and unit sales compared to the same period last year,” the Potatoes USA experts added.
Fresh sales performed similarly to most potato categories with an increase in USD sales and a decline in volume and unit sales. The fresh pack size categories have been updated to reflect a changing category.
“The 0.45-1.81 kg category is now two separate categories: 0.45-<0.90 kg and 0.90-1.81 kg fresh potato pack sizes. The 0.45-<0.90 kg pack sizes are the only category of fresh potatoes that increased in USD volume, and unit sales. The 2.26 kg pack sizes, which make up 45% of the total volume sales, increased in USD by 5.9% and declined in volume by 1.2%,” the report also reveals.
Yellow and white potatoes are the only two types of fresh potatoes that increased in USD and volume sales. Yellow potatoes saw the largest increase in dollars by 16.3% and volume by 8.7%. Russet potatoes, which make up 57% of fresh volume sales, saw the second-largest price increase to purple potatoes; 13% and 15.7%, respectively. Russet dollar sales increased by 1.5% and declined in volume by 10.2%.
