The past summer holiday season sparked a boom in Hass avocado sales, according to the Hass Avocado Board's (HAB) recently released Q3 2018 report.

Fourth of July sales continued to grow, reaching a four-year high in 2018 of nearly US$53 million in sales and 50 million in units. All regions showed strong growth, ranging from +10% in the Great lakes to +54% in the Northeast.

“Avocados are being added to traditional summer fare including burgers and salads,” explains Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board.

“We’re also seeing avocados show up in fresh new ways, such as in refreshing ice pops. Shoppers look for unique and delicious healthy options for summer holidays and Hass avocados are a perfect addition. Each year sales have been exceeding the previous year’s record highs as avocados become more mainstream.”

Retailers also saw avocado unit and dollar sales grow to four-year highs for Father’s Day, with nearly US$52 million in avocado sales. The 2018 sales for Father’s Day topped 2015 sales by +33% in dollars and +27% in units.

Labor Day marked the last traditional summer holiday of the year, and avocados worked their way to a record-setting US$51 million in sales. Nationally, Labor Day volume rose +32% to 38 million units with very strong, double-digit trends in all eight regions.