California Avocados Capture a Larger Share of Fourth of July Holiday Sales
Retail sales are higher where California avocados are on the shelf during the California avocado season. This advantage was especially valuable during the summer season and ahead of Fourth of July. During the four weeks leading up to the holiday, total U.S. import volume declined 6.0% from the prior year. With lower import volume, California avocados supplied a larger share of the market, helping fill the nation's shopping baskets. The result was a record 64.8 million U.S. avocado units sold during the holiday week, up 8.6% compared to the prior year, generating $76.3 million in sales.
In California and the West, unit sales also reached a record 20.1 million, up 3.7%, while dollars totaled $26.6 million. GEM avocados, a newer addition to the shelf, drove most of the growth during the holiday week, contributing more than half a million incremental units to the category.
Hy-Vee Dietitians Helped Drive July Momentum for California Avocados
California avocados took center stage throughout July as Hy-Vee's Dietitian Pick of the Month. Registered dietitians across the retailer's network delivered a steady stream of consumer education through social media, local television appearances and earned media. Consistent messaging highlighted the availability, taste, nutrition and versatility of California avocados across multiple channels, including in-store communication with intercoms, print newsletters and digital monitors; messaging also was shared through posts on the Hy-Vee corporate social media profiles and on the store-specific social profiles of the individual Hy-Vee dietitians.
Caption. Hy-Vee’s dietitians shared California avocado messaging, recipes and “how tos” on social media throughout the month.
Caption. California avocados were featured during a segment on the Cedar Rapids’ ABC-affiliate news station.
Retail Activations and Influencer Partnerships Elevate Peak Season Promotions
Throughout peak season, the California Avocado Commission partnered with retailers and local influencers to create authentic, retailer-specific content that showcased California avocados where consumers shop. Retail activations were coordinated with Erewhon, Sprouts and Stater Bros. Influencers who collaborated with CAC developed engaging "come-shop-with-me" videos, recipe inspiration and seasonal content designed to connect with local audiences and highlight in-store promotions. One activation included a grove tour, resulting in content that further reinforced the Voice of the Grower campaign and created a cohesive story of how locally grown California avocados travel a short distance from grove to grocery store. Together, these collaborations strengthened retailer partnerships, generated fresh seasonal content and extended the reach of California avocado messaging across both CAC’s and the partners’ social media channels. To-date, influencer content has exceeded expectations, garnering a reach of 880,000 with an average 4% engagement rate.
Caption. Wellness influencers brought California avocados to life at Erewhon through premium, visually driven content featuring the fruit available in the produce department and the store’s seasonal Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie.
Caption. California avocados took center stage in this influencer recipe inspired by the Sprouts grove tour and retail activation.