Hass avocado sales experienced a record-breaking boost during the first quarter, according to the Hass Avocado Board's quarterly holiday report.

The three big holidays during the first quarter - the Superbowl, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day - helped boost Hass avocado sales to a total of US$169m from last year. An increase of $18.3m from last year, the boost corresponds to some key promotions and consumer habits during the first few months of the year.

Record high avocado sales saw an uptick in the traditionally strong week of the Superbowl, where consumers often buy in big numbers for the game.

This year a four-year high was recorded during the week of the game, figures showing volumes reaching over 66 million units. What the HAB calls the "Big Game", the week of sales increased 3% year-on-year to a total of $58.4m.

Figures show that California increased the greatest in terms of the number of units sold per store while the West and South Central regions of the U.S. also exceeded national averages.

Following the Superbowl, Valentine's day sales jumped this quarter with $48.1m, yet another four-year high for the category. The Board attributes this success to February being American Heart month, driving up sales for avocados. As HAB focuses on heart health as one of the "four pillars" in its Nutrition Research Program, it promoted a new cookbook for heart-healthy recipes during the month of February.

St. Patrick's Day, too, saw a record in 2020 with dollar sales at $62.5m of 52.1 units. The strong holiday sales provided a rise of 26% relative to last year, up $12.8m from 2019.

In the Hass Avocado Board's quarterly holiday recap, it seeks to provide insights that outline "clear and actionable data and metrics" that can inform future avocado business.