MISSION VIEJO, CA – (April 28, 2023) – Shoppers celebrated fall and winter holidays with delicious avocado dishes driving sales of fresh Hass Avocados during the fourth quarter holidays. A recent avocado sales recap published by the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) indicated higher avocado sales during fall and winter holidays, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve weeks in 2022. Fall and winter holiday avocado sales in the U.S. reached 145.6 million units with shoppers spending $158.3 million in retail sales, while average selling prices declined.
With a mission to equip the entire industry for success, HAB produces quarterly reports about holiday retail sales performance across the United States. The holiday reports provide insightful sales information for retailers, category managers, marketers, and industry leaders as they plan holiday promotions and look for opportunities to grow avocado sales in the upcoming year.
The information below provides a snapshot of the volume and sales data for each Q4 2022 holiday.
Halloween
- Avocado unit sales grew by +1.4% over 2021 to 37.8 million units, +12.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
- Total U.S. Halloween unit sales increased +520K units compared to the prior year, however the dollars gains in California and the Southeast could not offset dollar losses in other regions.
- Small avocados (PLU 4046) held the largest share of dollars for the holiday week at 35.3%, however, extra large (PLU 4770) avocado dollar sales increased +20.0% contributing +$424K to the category.
Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving week saw unit sales growth of +2% versus the prior year. Nationally, dollar sales declined -6% amid lower ASP vs. 2021.
- The South Central region posted volume gains of +11% during the holiday week. Additionally, the Plains, West, and Midsouth regions saw volume growth.
- Total ASP dropped -8% during Thanksgiving week over the prior year. Prices ranged from $0.85/unit in the South Central region to $1.36/unit in the Northeast.
Christmas
- Avocado unit sales grew +5% versus last year, reaching 35.9M units. Dollar sales decreased by -7% to $39.6M.
- Total U.S. avocado volume added +1.7M units to the category during the week of Christmas. The South Central, Great Lakes, and Plains regions showed the largest increases.
- Small avocados (PLU 4046) held the largest share of dollars for the holiday week at 33.2%, however, extra large (PLU 4770) avocados posted a dollar increase of +7.8% contributing +$166K to the category.
New Year’s Eve
- New Year’s Eve avocado unit sales declined -5%, reaching $40.6M for the week. Avocado dollar sales also decreased by -14% compared to the previous year.
- The total U.S. avocado ASP decreased –9% during the New Year’s Eve week to $1.01/unit, the lowest ASP of any holiday in 2022.
- The Plans and Southeast regions posted unit gains for New Year’s Eve week, but the gains were not enough to offset losses in all other regions.
HAB releases quarterly holiday recaps covering sales trends for key holidays and events. Each report details sales trends for dollar sales, units, and average selling price, which provides insightful information for planning future holiday promotions. Users can also view year-over-year sales performance for each holiday week. 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.
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