Pre-packaged salads and pre-cut fruit are a growing subcategory of the produce market.

April 16, 2019
NACS
Fresh Produce Sales Are on Trend and Rising
ARLINGTON, Va.—Grocery stores are chock-full of spiralized zucchini, pre-chopped stir fry vegetables, pre-seasoned chicken and more ready-to-cook foods. This “value-added produce” category is growing and taking up more real estate in produce departments around the country, and consumers are buying these convenient offerings at c-stores and other locations that aren’t traditional produce channels, Grocery Dive reports.
There’s big expansion potential in this market, and shoppers are willing to pay more for pre-prepared foods as they look for more convenient and healthier options. The Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) latest Power of Produce report found that “the value-added produce category grew nearly 2% in 2018—fueled by greater assortment, increased household penetration and a higher consumption frequency,” Grocery Dive reports. About 92% of households have purchased some value-added produce, and the category contributes 4.5% to total produce sales.
“I think value-added is part of this macro trend of convenience,” said Rick Stein, vice president of fresh food for FMI, in an interview with Grocery Dive. “Convenience is happening in so many areas of the store. People don’t want to prepare their own meals, they want to have a meal prepared for them.”
Conventional retailers are facing new competition from convenience stores, discounters and mass retailers offering an assortment of convenience-focused produce, the report notes.