The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated potato sales at retail since mid-March, with most categories benefiting from sales as people prepared meals at home instead of going to restaurants.
Fresh potato sales in dollars at retail increased by 46 percent between March 16 and June 14, according to Potatoes USA, when compared to the same time period from a year ago. The promotion group, citing numbers from Chicago research firm IRI, said the volume of potatoes sold at retail in that 3-month window increased 35 percent.
Almost every type of fresh potato saw double-digit growth in dollar sales, and all categories except fingerlings saw a boost in volumes sold, according to a news release from Potatoes USA.
“Yellow potatoes showed the largest increase in both dollar and volume sales,” according to the release. “Dollar sales increased by 54 percent, and volume sales increased by 42 percent.”
Other types of potatoes are also seeing increased sales at retail:
- The sales of all retail potato products rose 31 percent in dollars and 32 percent in volume;
- All potato categories across retail increased in dollar and volume sales, except for deli sides;
- Dehydrated potato products had the largest increase in dollar and volume sales, with 59 and 49 percent, respectively;
- Deli-prepared sides dropped 23 percent in dollar sales and 24 percent in volume sales; and
- Frozen potato sales in dollars from March 16 to 22 saw 120 percent increase.