Blueberry retail sales have exploded since the start of the pandemic and there is no reason to think growth will stop.

Jeff Cady, Director of Fruits and Vegetables for Tops Friendly Markets, gave his analysis of the blueberry market during a session on March 18 at the NABC / USHBC Spring Virtual Conference and Meeting.

He said year-over-year vegetable sales have been stronger than fruit sales for a year, but the berry category more closely mirrors vegetables in Tops Markets.

The most recent survey from IRI's Consumer Network shows that retail sales of vegetables are up 12,2 percent from last year through January, with fruits at 7,2 percent. The berry category posted year-on-year growth of 11,5 percent.

Cady said there are several reasons.

“We are seeing an increase in blueberry sales due to its immunity properties,” he said. “We tell consumers this in the store and in advertisements. I attribute some of their growth to this, and people will continue to move in that direction."

Tops encourages blueberry shippers to pack in larger sizes to increase sales.

“We are trying to push for larger blueberry containers to get away from 6 ounces,” Cady said. "Big packages are the way to go."

Organic blueberries are also flourishing, he said, as is the organic category in general.

“Organic wasn't big from the start,” he said, referring to last March when the shutdowns began. "Now you've doubled or tripled product growth (over a year earlier) and I wasn't expecting that."

Cady said improving the quality of organic supplies and narrowing the price gap between organic and conventional has helped growth.

Perhaps most important, however, have been the efforts of blueberry growers, he said.

“The quality of the blueberries continues to improve,” Cady said. "The first thing that sells the most is the consistency of good flavor."