Strawberries Snapshot

Strawberries aren’t just a fruit, they are a statement. From aesthetics to cosmetics, the strawberry has made its mark beyond the berry patch. Even so, it continues to change things up to keep ahead of the curve, from colors available or the amount of sweetness a variety may pack. As we race to keep up with this trend-setter, we tapped a few insights from our friends at the California Strawberry Commission to let us know the latest moves to match this berry patch royal…

Total Sales

Strawberry volume increased +11% YOY, outpacing all other berry varieties. U.S. dollar share of strawberries topped $4.9 billion, an increase of 5% or $235.9 million year over year. That's 42.5% of total sales of fresh berries sold in the U.S..

Conventional vs. Organic

Conventional strawberries dominated the market, accounting for 91 percent of total volume. However, organic strawberries also showed impressive volume growth.

Conventional strawberries brought in $4,260.3 million or 86.5% of total strawberry sales, a 4.3% increase year over year. That represents 1,422.1 million lbs or 90.8% (+10.8% YOY)

Organic strawberries posted a robust $667.5 million in sales, or 13.5% of total sales, a 10% increase year over year. 144.9 million lbs, or 9.2% (+11.6% YOY)

Peak Season

Over 652 million lbs of strawberries were sold at retail during peak season, which spans from April to July, generating $1.7 billion in category sales.

Strawberry dollars peaked in May 2024* with $476.7 million in sales, while volumes peaked in June 2024 with 177.2 million lbs sold.

Regional Trends 

The Southeast led in category development with the largest share of volume growth at 14.3% YOY. Meanwhile the Northeast posted the largest market share with 18.2%.

California

Sales: $604.1 million | 12.3%
Volume: 183.0 million lbs | 11.7%

West

Sales: $610.1 million | 12.4%
Volume: 191.1 million lbs | 12.2%

Plains

Sales: $323.5 million | 6.6%
Volume: 107.4 million | 6.9%

South Central

Sales: $444.0 million | 9.0%
Volume: 145.9 million lbs | 9.3%

Great Lakes

Sales: $672.6 million | 13.6%
Volume: 236.0 million lbs | 15.1%

Northeast

Sales: $897.9 million | 18.2%
Volume: 262.1 million | 16.7%

Midsouth

Sales: $625.2 million | 12.7%
Volume: 198.4 million lbs | 12.7%

Southeast

Sales: $750.2 million | 15.2%
Volume: 243.1 million lbs | 15.5%

Packaging

Across package sizes, 16 oz and 32 oz packages accounted for 98% of total strawberry sales, with the 32 oz package experiencing a +15% increase in volume.

16 oz

Sales: $2,838.9 million | 60.6% (+2.8%)
Volume: 883.7 million lbs | 58.2% (+8.0%)

32 oz

Sales: $1,700.3 million | 36.3% (+8.4%)
Volume: 609.4 million lbs | 40.1% (+15.1%)

All Other Sizes

Sales: $144.4 million | 3.1% (+35.4%)
Volume: 26.0 Million lbs | 1.7% (+45.5%)

SOURCE | The 2024 State of the Strawberry Category report

Total U.S., Circana. 52 weeks ending 7-14-2024