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Southeast sees larger potato pack sizes prevailing

Southeast shoppers are flexing their muscles in the produce department as they increasingly opt for eight- and 10-pound bags of Idaho potatoes rather than the traditional five-pound pack.

With potato sales overall trending strong in this region, the movement to larger pack sizes is likely to continue as long as inflation is a factor, said Mark Daniels, Idaho Potato Commission retail promotion director-Southeast/Central.

“We think this is due to people cooking more since the pandemic, and potatoes are used in a lot of meals,” he said. “And because of the state of the economy, consumers are watching their nickels and dimes a little bit more closely, so they are buying larger pack sizes.”

Beyond russets
Russets rule the roost in the Southeast, the best-selling region in the United States for these Idaho tubers, but red and yellow potatoes are rapidly making inroads, said Daniels.

“We are seeing yellows and golds just on fire in the Southeast and across the country,” he said. “They really have not cannibalized the red potatoes either, because the reds are still holding their own. We’re quite proud of our reds and golds in Idaho — they’re very clean, and they really pop on the shelf for eye appeal.”

Daniels added that Idaho has put a strong push behind its red and yellow varieties. “I think we’ve done a better job making people aware that Idaho is not only known for russets,” he said. “We have all the varieties. Retailers can pretty much have year-round supplies if they plan accordingly with their shipper.”

Price increases
Inflation has taken its toll in the Southeast, but some retailers have been pleasantly surprised that they’ve been able to price potatoes higher, said Daniels.

“Some have promoted Idaho potatoes at a higher price than they ever have before, and have still continued to see successful promotions,” he said. “Other retailers are complaining that prices are too high. But if you look at all the items in the produce category, bananas and potatoes are the only two that haven’t increased in price like the other categories over the past decade. We are way overdue for higher pricing — the days of promoting a 10-pound bag of Idaho russets for $1.99 are gone.”

Managing expectations
One of the biggest challenges for retailers right now is making sure they keep Idaho potatoes in stock, said Daniels. That’s where Idaho retail promotion directors can help, because they are on the road for more than 36 weeks each year inspecting stores.

“I can get into more than 35 stores a week,” said Daniels. “That really helps me see what is happening at store level and allows me to provide real-time feedback to our partners.”

Daniels said space allocation offers one of the biggest opportunities in today’s retail potato market. As consumers are shifting toward larger pack sizes, retailers should evaluate how much space they are dedicating to their top-selling items.

“When I meet with a retailer, I bring them syndicated Nielsen scan data to discuss what works,” he said. “A retailer always knows how well they are doing, but I see the whole picture.”

Photo: Mark Daniels, Stanley Trout and Mike Krage.

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