Cherries rank in the top 5 in US retail sales in July 2023 with +25% volume growth

21 Aug 2023
1902

According to the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) monthly report in the United States the holiday effect (July 4th, Indipendence Day) was strong for fresh produce and cherries played a major role. The holiday week generated $1.643 billion turnover for fresh produce versus $1.503 for the last week of July. Additionally, pound sales increased 4.5% during the week of the Fourth versus flat results during the remaining July weeks. 

"Produce sales benefited from investment in price plus retailers stepping up efforts in produce’s role in grilling, from campaigns on ‘how to grill veggies’ to on-pack ‘great for the grill’ stickers on a variety of produce items.” said Joe Watson, VP, Retail, Foodservice & Wholesale at IFPA.


Summer is the strong season for fruits and vegetables, as locally produced and seasonal items come to market at a much higher rate," pointed out Jonna Parker, Team Lead Fresh at Circana. "Our survey shows that seasonality and proximity are the two main motivations for unplanned buying; eye-catching displays and storytelling can help improve fruit and vegetable performance.

Cherries booming in June and July

Seasonal powerhouse cherries achieved a record performance in June 2023, ranking fourth in terms of turnover in the fresh fruit department. Cherry turnover in June was US$ 342 million, or USD 2.61 per household, with double-digit growth compared to June 2022 in both value (+40.3%) and quantity (+71.9%).

Cherries also remained in the top five in July with US$ 261 million in sales, representing an average monthly expenditure of US$ 1.99 per household. 

The later start of promotions and investment in price is having the desired effect on demand, but the growth in pounds was unable to offset the investment in dollars. Regardless, cherries demonstrate that consumers’ appetite for seasonal items remains strong.


$ sales M
06/2023
$ vs YA
06/2023
Lbs vs. YA
06/2023
$ sales M
07/2023
$ vs YA
07/2023
Lbs vs. YA 
07/2023
Fresh fruit
4200+1,3%-5,1%
3300
0,6%
1,7%
Berries
951+8.0%+4,9%
679
9,2%
6,0%
Melons
586-3,5%-14,1%
782
6,3%
5,1%
Apples
368+1,0%-3,8%
279
0,4%
-3,9%
Cherries
342+40,3%+71,9%
261
-13,2%
25,0%
Bananas
335+1,2%-1,5%
258
0,8%
-1,6%


According to Circana (formerly known as IRI) which reports the purchasing habits of 100,000 U.S. households from across the United States, cherries ranked 13th in 2022 among the most popular fruits, with a household penetration of 35%.

Cherries top dollar growth in June

When analysing absolute growth in value sales, cherries were in first place in June: with a growth of US$ 98.2 million (+71.9% year-on-year), they surpassed both berries (+ US$ 70.3 million, or +4.9%) and mandarins (+ US$ 44.3 million, or +52.3%) in growth. 

In July 2023, berries regained the overall growth lead while cherries dropped out of the top ten products by monthly change in sales.

Cherries sold online in US - week 33/2023



Image by cookie_studio on Freepik

Cherry Times - All rights reserved



What to read next

Multifunctional covers are key tools for cherry orchard sustainability

Covers

01 May 2023

The adoption of multi-functional covers in orchard systems is widely increasing due to their protective function against biotic and abiotic stressors.

Cherry Growers Australia reports exports up 43% at end of season, thanks in part to India partnership

Markets

05 Apr 2024

"The country recorded a 43% increase in exports this 2023-2024 season," says Wayne Prowse, director of Cherry Growers Australia, "exceeding 4,000 tonnes was good. But it is still not the growth to return to 2017-2020 levels."

In evidenza

Meizao cherries: 30 μm LDPE MAP packaging extends shelf life in China

08 Oct 2025

A Chinese study shows how 30 μm LDPE (PE30) film extends Meizao cherries' shelf life up to 60 days. It reduces spoilage and preserves nutritional quality, texture and appearance, offering an effective, scalable packaging solution for Chinese producers, retailers and distributors.

SmartCherry and iAgro: digital innovation for IGP cherries in Tuscany, Italy

Tech management

08 Oct 2025

SmartCherry is the innovative project bringing precision agriculture to IGP cherry orchards in Tuscany, Italy. With the iAgro app, farmers reduce costs and environmental impact using biometric data, predictive models and smartphone-based decision support.

Tag Popolari