One of the most popular fruits in the world, the avocado is widely consumed and enjoyed. Its reputation as a highly profitable crop is undisputable, with retailers constantly looking for new marketing opportunities. 

Among fresh produce trends, convenience has become a major staple in the sector, giving way to ready-to-go packed goods. Avocados are not immune to this, as the bagged option has risen 9% in popularity, according to Hass Avocado Board (HAB) research.

The study utilized retail sales data from Circana to analyze retail sales trends of bagged and bulk avocados.

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This data included avocado dollar sales, unit sales, average sales price, distribution, sales velocity, and dollar and unit share of bulk and bagged avocados over a four-year period.

Following 2019, the avocado category saw a strong spike in retail unit volume, with a 21% increase  in 2020, followed by a 5% decline in 2021 and an 8% drop in 2022.

According to the research, higher prices drove greater dollar sales for bulk and bagged avocados. 

“While there were many contributing factors to the market dynamics that occurred over the past four years, the rise of bagged avocado sales had a significant impact on avocado category retail sales trends,” the report states.

Bagged avocado sales were  increasing before 2020, but saw a notable spike in volume and dollar sales in 2020 and 2021, capturing a larger share of category sales.

“Bagged avocado volume increased 46% in 2020 and 18% in 2021. These trends drove an increase in bagged avocado volume share. Up from a 19% share of total volume in 2019 to 28% in 2021,” the report says.