Economy, outbreak suppress produce sales in July 

Fruit and vegetable sales struggled in July, as financially strained consumers pulled back spending after Independence Day, and outbreak fears further eroded sales. 

According to IFPA’s U.S. Produce Retail Point of Sales Results produced by 210 Analytics using data from Circana, for the week ending July 26, 2026, fresh produce sales were down 3.0 percent in dollars from a year ago and 3.7 percent in pounds. 

For July, fresh fruits fell 3.9 percent in dollar sales at retail and 4.5 percent in pounds from a year ago, while fresh vegetables saw a 1.7 percent increase in dollar sales, but a 2.3 percent drop in pounds from a year ago. 

Overall food and beverage sales at retail rose 1.2 percent in dollars but fell 0.9 percent in pounds from a year ago. 

“The week ending July 26 marked the first full week of U.S. retail sales following the Cyclospora outbreak. Sales data indicates a broad-based decline in fresh produce purchasing across most categories, retailers, and channels. Sixty fresh produce subcategories posted declines in dollars, units, and/or volume during the week ending July 26,” the report said. 

By category, salad kits saw a 19.4 percent fall in dollar sales and 18.6 percent drop in pounds in July. Lettuce saw a less dramatic drop, with -4.3 percent in dollar sales and 12.8 percent in pounds in July. 

In other categories, the two biggest fruits, berries and melons, both saw big drops in July, but apples, bananas, and avocados posted gains. 

In vegetables, potatoes, onions, peppers, and corn all posted gains. 

“Circana expects volume trends to remain constrained as consumers continue to rationalize spending and make more intentional purchases while prioritizing products that deliver the outcomes they seek, including wellness, relevance, and quality,” the report said.