Top 40 Organic Summer Items

What Organic Produce Sells Best During the Summer Quarter?

We talk to many retailers who know they need to expand their organic produce offerings, yet struggle to find the right mix of items.  Repeating the top selling conventional SKUs with organic counterparts is a common mistake since it only works in select commodities like Berries and Tomatoes. For example, conventional Iceberg Lettuce may be a big seller, but Organic Iceberg Lettuce doesn’t even crack the Top 150 best-selling organic items.  Conventional Red Delicious Apples remain a solid performer in many traditional produce departments, however Red Delicious are one of the slower moving Organic Apple varieties even though they have one of the lowest retail price points.

So, what organic fruits and vegetables sell best?

Here is our list of Top 40 Best Sellers for the Summer Quarter.  Organic Berries, Grapes and Stone Fruit perform well this time of year.  This list is based on wholesale case volume data from July, August and September of 2014 sold to traditional independent retailers, food co-ops and natural food stores in the New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC marketplaces and surrounding areas.

Bulk or Packaged Organics?

Bulk-fresh display of hand fruits and wet vegetables remains the preferred method for merchandising organic produce, both from a visual appearance and reduced consumer packaging waste standpoint.  If bulk displays without UPC packs is not a feasible way to sell organic produce in your produce department, don’t worry, packaged options still sell well, so long as the pricing is within reason and the quality is fresh.  Packaged or bulk-fresh, the top sellers remain virtually the same.  We recommend that retailers stock organic items from the Top 40, even if they have to sell it in a pack.  For example, just because you’re not set up to sell bunched Organic Kale in your misted greens set, doesn’t mean you have to give up on the #13 best-seller.  Smart retailers will offer a clamshell or bag of cleaned and chopped Organic Kale that is UPC ready and a convenience for the consumer.

Want more tips or recommendations on Organic Produce Merchandising? 

Drop us an email: Jonathan Steffy, Director of Sales (Jonathan@fsproduce.com) or Ray Taglialatela (raymondt@fsproduce.com).

Call your Four Seasons Sales Rep or Merchandiser (linked to Our Team).

Or click here if you are interested in becoming a customer (link to Contact).