Six Ways to Sell More Bananas

The category is a year-round staple and retail powerhouse in produce.

Say the name Wellfleet, MA, and oysters might be the first food to come to mind. However, it’s at this Cape Cod port in 1876 that ship captain Lorenzo Dow Baker first arrived with 160 stems of bananas from Jamaica.

In 2024, the U.S. imported approximately 10.4 billion pounds of this peel-and-eat fruit, up from 10.2 billion pounds in 2023, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) import data. That means shoppers can walk into any U.S. supermarket, regardless of the month, day, or time of day, and buy bananas.

And buy they do. The banana category represented 4.3% of total produce sales, up 3.2%, for the 52 weeks ending Sept. 13, 2025, as provided by NielsenIQ Retail Measurement, Total Store data.

“Bananas are very important to produce sales,” says Jeff Salchenberg, produce program and category manager at New Seasons Market, a 22-store chain headquartered in Portland, OR. “They are on just about everyone’s shopping list and are a constant top sales item.”

Case in point, 35% of respondents to the Dole Fruit Company’s 2024 National Banana Survey ranked bananas as a must-have grocery staple, more so than any other produce item, and sixth on the list of all supermarket items, behind bread, eggs, meat, milk and coffee.

Best of all for shoppers, bananas are one of the most affordable items in the produce department, with an average price per pound under $1. More specifically, the average cost of bananas was 63 cents per pound for the year ending Sept. 13, 2025, based on NielsenIQ data, up 1 cent from the previous year.
Here are six ways to keep bananas on top:

1. BUILD SALES ON THE CAVENDISH VARIETY

“The Cavendish variety remains the most preferred banana by consumers,” says Ahiby Rodriguez, trade marketing manager, for Fyffes North America Inc., in Coral Gables, FL.

This sun-yellow variety represented 90.8% of category dollars, up 2.7%, for the year ending Sept. 13, 2025, according to NielsenIQ data.

Guatemala, Ecuador and Costa Rica consistently supply the largest portions of the U.S. banana market. At the same time, Colombia and Honduras are other significant suppliers, based on data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Boston, MA. The U.S currently imposes a 10% tariff on bananas imported from these countries.

“While bananas remain a powerhouse of the North American produce department, the category does face challenges,” explains Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications for the Charlotte, NC-headquartered Dole Food Company.

“Climate change and extreme weather are reducing yields, forcing significant new investment in soil health, water management and disease mitigation,” he explains. “Meanwhile, geopolitical factors (Ukraine war, tariffs, new demand in Asia and Eastern Europe) and rising input costs are driving production and delivery costs higher.”

Despite challenges, importers and marketers agree the Cavendish banana isn’t going anywhere as America’s favorite banana variety.

2. TEST SPECIALTIES

Specialty bananas appeal to a range of niche consumers, and they coexist as a complementary option for those seeking variety, culture or premium value, according to Sofia Acon, president of Kapi Kapi Growers, in Miami Beach, FL. “Growing consumer interest in plantains inspired us to expand into this category, and we now grow and ship them regularly as part of our offering. Signage that explains the variety and how to use it helps reduce hesitation.”

Most plantains and other specialty bananas are displayed in bulk. However, in response to a retail buyer’s request, Melissa’s/World Variety Produce in Vernon, CA, has introduced a 2-count pack with a scannable UPC brand code to ensure a correct ring.

“Plantains and baby bananas are our two fastest growing specialties and make up 80% of specialty banana sales for us,” says Robert Schueller, Melissa’s director of public relations. “A smaller portion size is the appeal for baby bananas for kids, and for the consumer who usually cuts a Cavendish in half.”

Melissa’s offers customized signage for proper identification and information about specialty bananas.

For red bananas, says Gustavo Carranza Gonzalez, director-produce manager for bananas N.A. at Fresh Del Monte, in Coral Gables, FL, “target gourmet and adventurous eaters.”

3. OFFER ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE

Conventional and organic Cavendish bananas are the two top banana category SKUs sold at Sunset Foods, a five-store chain based in Highland Park, IL. “Organic is more of a niche, maybe because of the cost difference,” says Vince Mastromauro, director of produce operations.

The average cost of organic bananas was 87 cents per pound for the year ending Sept. 13, 2025, based on NielsenIQ data, up 3 cents from the year before. This marks a 24-cent difference between conventional and organic bananas. However, organic bananas represented almost 15% of banana category sales for the year ending Sept. 13, which was up 16.9%.

“The demand for organically grown bananas is growing due to health and wellness trends, consumer influence and value perception, and environmental and ethical concerns,” says Tracie Levin, controller at M. Levin & Company, on the Philadelphia Wholesale Market, in Essington, PA, and one of the largest banana wholesalers, ripeners and distributors on the East Coast.

Fair trade banana volumes have grown by 15% in the U.S. since 2022, driven by major retailers switching their organic banana program to organic fair trade, according to Kim Chackal, co-owner and vice president of sales and marketing for Equifruit, in Montreal, Quebec, North America’s market leader in fair trade-certified bananas.

Chackal cites a recent study from Globescan that found recognition of the Fairtrade label has increased by 118% in the U.S. since 2019, and 68% of consumers in the U.S. are willing to pay more than the regular price for fair trade products. “This speaks to a rapidly growing appetite for fair trade bananas in the U.S., and I think we’re going to see a lot of development here in the coming years.”

4. GET RIPE RIGHT

There’s a widely held notion that all consumers want perfectly yellow fruit. Findings from the 2024 Dole National Banana Survey reveal that 29% of Americans prefer to eat bananas that are at least partially green, with 6% opting for them to be primarily green. This trend toward greener, unripe fruit is even more pronounced among organic customers.

“We advise our retailers to offer a variety of ripeness levels to meet the diverse preferences of their shoppers, from green to yellow,” says Dole Food Company’s Goldfield. “We also work with our partners to help them tailor their banana displays to local shopper habits, whether greener fruit for health-conscious organic buyers, yellow fruit for traditional uses, or a combination.”

The ripening of bananas is typically carried out by wholesalers, importers, or specialized distributors, says Fresh Del Monte’s Gonzalez. “Retailers like Walmart and Kroger may have their own ripening rooms or contract ripening services.”

Gary Campisi, president of Campisi Produce Consulting, in Rogers, AR, and ripening trainer for Thermal Tech, in Blythewood, SC, says the advantage for retailers to ripen their own fruit is controlling the banana color more precisely. “The challenge of this strategy is having state-of-the-art ripening rooms that are easy to operate, and an excellent training program established to keep ripeners focused on producing excellent results.”

What’s new is the ability to utilize AI in automated ripening with Thermal Tech ripening rooms, Campisi adds. “This new AI system utilizes a combination of data, predictive technology, and artificial intelligence to help ripeners take the guesswork out of ripening and provide consistently ripened bananas each day.”

5. BUILD SEVERAL DISPLAYS

Front-of-department banana displays drive impulse purchases and signal freshness, says Gonzalez. “Middle or back displays can pull shoppers through the department, increasing exposure to other produce.”

Bananas are the anchor of the tropical display at New Seasons Markets, says Salchenberg. “We proudly display them with marketing material that calls out our partnership with Organics Unlimited G.R.O.W. program. We also cross-merchandise bananas on mobile racks at the registers and for grab-and-go in the prepared foods department and coffee bars for the lunch crowds and morning grab-and-go snack crowd.”

Specialty bananas are best displayed on their own, rather than alongside Cavendish bananas, recommends M. Levin & Company’s Levin. ”Merchandising the specialty bananas with other ethnic and tropical fruit and produce is ideal.”

There are three tried-and-true ways to merchandise bananas, according to Fyffe’s Rodriguez. “First, it is setting up secondary displays. Second, offer more yellow than green fruit and handle it with care when setting up displays to prevent bruising. Third, zero out-of-stocks: rotate daily, handle gently, and refill frequently.”

6. FOCUS ON THE FRUIT’S VALUE-ADD

Supply chain volatility, rising freight costs, climate change, tariffs, labor costs, and disease threats are among the factors poised to make bananas more expensive in the future, says Anthony Serafino, president and principal at the Exp Group LLC, in North Bergen, NJ. “Instead of retailers promoting bananas as a loss leader on a flyer ad for 29- to 49-cents per pound, and losing money, they should promote the banana’s value-added benefits, such as its contribution to health and wellness.”

Mastromauro, at Sunset Foods, maintains bananas at an everyday price. “We received a price increase earlier this year, up about 10 cents. But at the end of the day, bananas are a staple, and you absorb it.”

“Bananas have strong potential to expand beyond their role as a low-cost staple into a versatile, health-forward product category,” says Kapi Kapi Growers’ Acon. “Consumers increasingly prioritize wellness, energy, and natural ingredients, which positions bananas as an easy, affordable superfood.”