Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 22.3.
Leafy greens retail market shares and changes in sales
Change in Sales Quantity
Commodity
Share of Leafy
Greens Sales 2005
2004 - 05
2005 - 06
(Jan - Aug)
2005 - 06
(Sep - Dec)
2005 - 2007
percent
Romaine hearts
7
13
10
10
7
Spinach in bags
1
5
7
8
−
49
−
13
Bagged spring mix
2
6
22
−
14
13
Salad without spinach
47
1
− 6
− 8
− 9
Bulk romaine
6
0
0
14
− 3
Bulk iceberg lettuce
24
− 3
− 6
− 4
− 11
Bulk leaf and other
bulk lettuce
7
− 4
− 5
7
− 5
Bulk spring mix
1
− 4
− 7
− 15
− 14
Bulk spinach
2
1
− 9
− 2
− 44
− 21
All leafy greens
NA
1
− 3
− 6
− 7
All other vegetables
NA
3
0
− 1
3
NA = not applicable.
1
Does not include bagged spring mix.
2
Does not include bulk spring mix.
Source
: IRI and FreshLook.
outbreak, products with spinach accounted for only 9% of the total volume of leafy
greens sales. Bulk spinach sales accounted for only 1% of the retail sales volume (in
pounds) and its share was declining. Spinach in bags represented 5% of spinach and
lettuce product sales. This category includes bagged salads, both those containing just
spinach and those containing a spinach-lettuce blend, as well as bags of spinach that
might be intended for cooking. Bagged spring mix, which usually contains spinach,
represented another 2% of the market. Bulk spring mix accounted for about 1%.
Between 2004 and 2005, sales of spinach in bags grew 7%. Spring mix in bags
was growing rapidly. It was the third fastest growth item in 2005, after romaine hearts
and spinach in bags, and was up 6% over the previous year. In the fi rst 8 months of
2006, spring mix was the most rapidly growing category, up 22% from the same period
in 2005. Bulk spinach and bulk spring mix were declining in sales as were all bulk
lettuces.
Lettuce shows a very similar pattern to spinach, with all bulk products declining
in share and all value-added products increasing in share. Although bagged salads
without spinach accounted for 47% of total spinach and lettuce sales in 2005, it was
not growing very much. Romaine hearts (value-added product often sold in bags) were
the most important growth area for lettuce. Iceberg was the largest category of bulk
lettuce, followed by leaf and other lettuces, and then bulk romaine.
Evaluating the last 4 months of 2006 provides a better view of the impact of the
outbreak. In the last 4 months of 2006 after the FDA announcement, sales of all
products containing spinach plummeted compared to the same period in 2005. Spinach
