California Avocados Spark Retail Sales During Fourth of July

During the Fourth of July holiday in the California region, strong supply of California avocados helped boost retail sales. Overall supply of avocados from all sources for the two weeks leading up to the Fourth of July holiday shopping period reached nearly 102 million pounds. While the supply was about 6% lower in 2024 versus 2023, California contributed significantly more volume (nearly 40% of the market supply in 2024 vs. 27% in 2023). According to the California Avocado Society, field pricing quotes peaked during that period of the season so far, reaching over $2.00 per pound.

On the consumer side, this year retail avocado sales grew to 8.1 million units, marking a 15% increase compared to the prior year. In contrast, total U.S. unit sales grew 2% during the same period. A key driver of this growth was small avocados (4046s). Unit sales for small avocados soared by 70%, contributing an additional 2.1 million units to the category for the week. These sales trends during the Fourth of July promotional period highlight the strong performance of the category when and where California avocados are carried (in California during the California season). (Source: Circana week ending 07-07-24, with comparison to 07-02-23).