Topics in this issue of Behind the Blue:
- December Nielsen Report Now Available
- USHBC Exhibits at SE Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah
- Promote National Blueberry Pancake Day With USHBC on January 28!
The most recent USHBC Nielsen report for the week ending January 1 is available here. The month of December marked a solid finish for 2021 blueberry sales in the food retail channel. The December 2021 Nielsen report shows that overall blueberry sales (fresh and frozen combined) are up +3.4% in volume and +4.1% in dollars vs. year average (YA).
Fresh blueberry dollar sales are up +5.8% in volume and +5.2% in dollars vs. YA, while the frozen blueberry segment continues to show soft volume and dollar trends vs. accelerated frozen sales in December 2020.
December 2021 total frozen blueberry sales are down -8.1% in volume and -3.0% in dollars vs. YA. Despite these year-ago declines, frozen blueberry volume and dollar sales are still +8.8% and +19.9%, respectively, vs. pre-COVID sales in December 2019.
Increased dollar sales of frozen blueberries are being driven primarily by strong gains in the conventional segment: up +9.5% in volume and +22.6% in dollars vs. December 2019. In the frozen organic segment, volume and dollars sales are also up +5.0% and +10.9%, respectively, compared to December 2019.
The relatively strong dollar sales increase for frozen blueberries is being driven by higher prices, which is unusual for what has traditionally been the most stable priced segment of the blueberry category. The average price per pound for all frozen blueberries in December 2019 was $3.21/lb, which has increased +10% to $3.54/lb in December 2021. Frozen conventional blueberry prices have increased +12% from $2.96 per pound in December 2019 to $3.31 in December of 2021.
Summaries of the preceding month’s retail sales performance are posted at the end of the second week of every month. Find the full list of reports at ushbc.org/nielsen-reports.
USHBC Exhibits at SE Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah
In early January, USHBC/NABC President Kasey Cronquist, Vice President of Engagement and Education Amanda Griffin and Meeting and Events Coordinator Mandy Boarman exhibited at the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. It was Amanda’s first official time traveling on behalf of USHBC, and this educational conference and trade show was a perfect opportunity to meet with blueberry growers and stakeholders, and put a face to a name.
“The team enjoyed reconnecting in the new year with the industry in Savannah,” said Amanda Griffin. “Personally, it was great to make the face-to-name connections and meet new folks. I look forward to the year ahead with more industry engagement opportunities!”
The USHBC team connected in person with industry stakeholders and took lots of photos to prove it! USHBC’s “Take a Pic, Take a Hat” activity proved very popular and drew in attendees to learn more about the blueberry industry.
Following the conference, Kasey and Amanda, along with NABC Chair Ken Patterson, traveled north to meet with blueberry growers and stakeholders in North Carolina and discuss critical issues directly impacting this important blueberry growing region.
Kasey, Amanda and the rest of the USHBC team are looking forward to continuing these important conversations at upcoming in-person and virtual events around the country. Have an idea for an event we should attend? We’d love to hear — email us at [email protected].
Promote National Blueberry Pancake Day With USHBC on January 28!
National Blueberry Pancake Day is right around the corner on January 28, and USHBC created a National Blueberry Pancake Day graphic that can be used in consumer promotions to commemorate this holiday on social media. We’re planning lots of consumer activations for National Pancake Day, including a partnership with snack influencer Justine Dorian (@justine_snacks), where Justine will be creating a special blueberry pancake to celebrate.
We’ll be sending out a special consumer email blast with ways to boost this breakfast classic, which will highlight several blueberry pancake recipes, including USHBC’s Sheet Pan Blueberry Pancakes. USHBC will also be promoting its Pancake Recipe GIF across social media, which promotes three blueberry pancake recipes:
National Blueberry Pancake Day is just one of the many moments in our promotional calendar inspiring consumers to Grab a Boost of Blue. In addition to these fun food holidays for consumers, our year-round marketing plan is packed with five “power periods” for building upon key buying periods and seasonal trends.
To access this asset and take a look at what else is coming up, visit our Grab of Boost of Blue Industry Resources page. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jenni Sparks, vice president of marketing and communications, at [email protected].