This past Tuesday marked our first retail visit of 2015. Super Bowl promotions, some pending tropical market shift, along with greenhouse product consistencies were visible in all supermarkets this January. Here’s what we saw:

Infographic courtesy of Hass Avocado Board, showing 2014 numbers. Click to enlarge.

Avocados – Experts note that amount of avocados eaten during the week leading up to the Super Bowl is set to rise 21% over just last year in 2014, and will reach a staggering 120 million pounds! Retailers were prepped for the surge with large amounts of both bagged and loose avocados on the shelves. Supplies from Mexico are steady and beginning to catch up at shipping points. California fruit is heading to the market with light supplies to start off. Supplies and quality are good, which will meet the demand for all sizes.

Mangoes – the shift in the market is noted in the local stores with product from both Peru and Ecuador dwindling. Trading is very active for the limited supplies, with quality being very good. The USDA has just posted their last report on the market scope for both Ecuador and Peru. This will make way for product from Mexico, which is expected to begin arriving mid-February; check back next month for what we see in stores.

All other product is running its predictable course in terms of origin and movement. Mexico is dominating the greenhouse market, with strong supplies of tomatoes in good quality, warmer weather in the Sinaloa region increasing the production for cucumbers, and all colors of bell peppers noted at excellent quality with increasing production to meet demand.

Be sure to check back at the end of February to see what has changed in terms of buying patterns and introduction of any new crops. As always, feel free to contact us to discuss how we can help you with your operations and any shifts in truck capacity.