Six Ways to Boost Berry Sales

Retailers have multiple levels to keep this powerhouse category growing.

Fresh berries check every box retailers look for in a top-performing produce category: craveable flavor that continues to improve, inherent health benefits, strong organic penetration, and fairly dependable year-round availability.

Versatile enough to work across meals and snacks, and appealing to shoppers from toddlers to seniors, berries continue to punch above their weight at retail.

Case in point: Berries account for 11.9% of total produce dollar sales, a gain of 0.5 percentage points year over year, according to 52-week xAOC (eXtended All Outlet Combined) data ending Jan. 10, 2026, as provided by Nielsen. Within fresh fruit alone, berries now account for 23.4% of dollar sales, up 0.4 points from last year, underscoring their role as a cornerstone growth driver for the produce department.

And there’s still room for the berry category to grow, says Jeff Cady, vice president of produce and floral at Northeast Grocery Inc., the Schenectady, NY-headquartered parent company of TOPS Friendly Market, Market 32 and Price Chopper banners, which collectively operate nearly 300 supermarkets across the Northeast.

“We haven’t found the ceiling because we haven’t hit utopia with supply,” says Cody. “It’s almost as long as we can get supplied, we sell berries.”

Here are six ways to boost berry sales at retail:

1. FOCUS ON THE BIG FOUR

Strawberries and blueberries are the category leaders, making up a combined 77% of berry dollar sales, according to Nielsen data. By type, strawberries represent 44% of category dollars, followed by blueberries (33%), raspberries (13%) and blackberries (10%).

When all four major berry varieties are in full production at the same time, they can account for as much as 15% of total sales at Northeast’s banners, Cady explains. Even so, supply gaps remain a challenge.

Strawberries, in particular, tend to experience a lull in November and December. While November proved difficult this past season, volume rebounded in December as Florida and Mexico ramped up production, resulting in a strong quarter, he says. Supply tightened again in early to mid-January, when freezes in Florida disrupted availability.

Although greenhouse-grown berries are now part of the supply mix, they often come online concurrently with field-grown fruit and remain at a higher price point. Ideally, Cady notes, “if there’s going to be a void in strawberries in November and December, that’s when I’d want them.”

Spring transitions into substantial volumes of strawberries from California, which carry through summer and early fall. Peak promotional times for strawberries in the U.S. are heavily concentrated between April and July, with a primary, nationwide peak in June.

Blueberries are one of the most global of berries. Winter supply is largely sourced from South America, including Peru and Chile, as well as Mexico. Spring sees a transition into Florida, Georgia, California, and other Southeastern states, followed by strong summer production from Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, says Jerry Moran, vice president of sales for Naturipe Farms, in Salinas, CA.

“Peak promotional windows occur in late spring through summer when domestic volumes are abundant,” he adds.

North Bay Produce, in Traverse City, MI, sources raspberries from Mexico and California year-round, according to Ryan Lockman, vice president of sales and procurement. North Bay also sources blackberries from Mexico 52 weeks, as well as from Georgia, North Carolina and Arkansas, domestically. Promotions for both imported and domestic berries are available year-round.

The biggest opportunities for improving supply consistency across all berries, says Moran, “come from protected growing environments, continued investment in logistics and cold-chain management, and varietal innovation.”

2. WHAT’S NEW?

Varietal development remains the primary focus of the berry industry, according to Lockman. “The goal is to create better-tasting berries that have a longer shelf life in consumers’ refrigerators. The key attributes that the industry is prioritizing include texture, taste, shelf life, appearance and size. There are already excellent examples of the progress made available to consumers, and even more advancements are expected in the future.”

University of Florida varieties continue to be the gold standard for strawberry producers in the state, says Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director at Wish Farms, in Plant City, FL. “The Ember and Encore varieties have shown very strong yield and quality this season. We are also proud members of the Ohalo Strawberry Consortium, which is working on some exciting developments.”

California also continues to develop new strawberry varieties, says Tom Linaris, berry buyer at Katzman Produce, Bronx, NY. Growers incorporate new varieties “along with strategically planting long- and short-day varieties to meet the annual growing demands.”

Jumbo-size blueberries are getting more movement from shelf to register, according to Marc Goldman, produce director for Morton Williams Supermarkets, a 17-store chain headquartered in the Bronx, NY, and a subsidiary of the Wakefern Food Corp.

“Varieties like Envoy have large berries, a firm, crisp texture, deep blue color, and a balanced sweet-tart flavor that make these blueberries stand out visually and in flavor,” says Naturipe’s Moran. “These qualities support premium packs, such as Sweet Selections, which spotlight exceptional flavor, and Mighty Blues, which feature jumbo blueberries that immediately communicate quality and value to shoppers.”

As for raspberries, Wish Farms, through its proprietary breeding company, Berry Sweet Research (BSR), will launch full tunnel pre-commercial trials of two standout raspberry selections in 2026. BSR anticipates expanding pre-commercial trials to include two to four selections with growers, paving the way for the release of top-performing varieties for commercial production in 2027.

“Blackberries are the No. 3 seller for us, after strawberries and blueberries, and they are catching up to blueberries,” says Terry Esteve, produce and floral director at Robért Fresh Market and Lakeview Grocery, an eight-store chain based in New Orleans, LA.

Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch blackberries are back this season with limited, smaller quantities, says Garland Reiter Jr., chief commercial officer of the Watsonville, CA-headquartered grower. “They’re grown in the high elevations of Mexico’s mountains, where proprietary varieties deliver bold flavor notes of berry punch and blackberry jam, less tartness, and more juiciness than conventional options.”

3. GIVE ORGANICS A BIGGER PIECE OF THE PIE

Nearly one-quarter (22.5%) of berry dollar sales in the 52 weeks ending Jan. 10, 2026, are labeled organic, up 1.1 points versus a year ago, according to Nielsen data. In addition, organic berries are increasing their share, growing dollars by 12% versus a year ago, outpacing conventional berries, which are increasing by 4% during the same period.

“While the entire category is expanding, the organic-to-conventional ratio varies significantly across berry types,” says Kyla Oberman, director of marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, in Watsonville, CA.

She notes research shows organic blueberries now make up nearly 19% of the total blueberry market share. “This is significantly higher than the average for the total produce department, where organics typically hover around 8-9%. While a slight stabilization to 18.2% in 2026 is anticipated, this figure confirms that roughly one out of every five blueberries sold is organic — the highest such ratio among major fresh fruit categories.”

As for strawberries, organically grown fruit is more accessible to consumers than ever, with 63% of stores carrying it, according to Nielsen data. Also, organic strawberries are becoming more affordable, selling at 51 cents per pound, down from a year ago, and sales are following, with dollars growing at +14% and outpacing conventional strawberries by 12 points. Organic strawberries are now priced only 33 cents per pound higher than conventional strawberries, which is a small premium to pay compared to the average 89 cents per pound premium organic garners in total fruit.

“While organic raspberry and blackberry acreage represents a smaller proportion of the overall berry category, both segments are expanding,” says Naturipe’s Moran. “Many growers are actively expanding organic plantings where varietal performance and climate allow.”

4. USE PACKAGING AS A POINT OF DIFFERENCE

Clear plastic clamshells have dominated the industry for multiple reasons, says Katzman Produce’s Linaris, such as visibility for displays, ventilation for cooling, ability to maintain proper product temperature, and cost efficiency. “As a result, they have become the industry standard over the past 30 years.”

According to NielsenIQ 2026 data, shoppers are caught in a “Sustainability Scramble,” according to Oberman. “They want eco-friendly packaging, but they refuse to sacrifice the visibility of the fruit. This is leading to ‘hybrid’ designs — such as paperboard bases with a clear, minimal plastic window — which provide the natural look of paper, while still allowing for the quality inspection that berry buyers demand.”

Retailers are increasingly using pack size to differentiate their category.

“Snack-sized and portion-controlled packs continue to grow, driven by on-the-go eating and family convenience. At the same time, larger pack sizes remain important for high-velocity items and value-driven shoppers.”
— Jerry Moran, Naturipe Farms, Salinas, CA

“Snack-sized and portion-controlled packs continue to grow, driven by on-the-go eating and family convenience,” says Moran. “At the same time, larger pack sizes remain important for high-velocity items and value-driven shoppers. We are also seeing interest in unique sizes and configurations that help retailers tailor assortments by store format, shopper demographics, and promotional strategy, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.”

5. PITCH A FOUR BERRY PATCH

A well-placed and well-executed “berry patch” display delivers immediate visibility, stronger shopability, and higher ring.

“If you walk into one of my stores and don’t see berries within the first 10 steps, we have failed,” says Northeast Grocer’s Cady, underscoring why front-of-department placement matters.

Grouping strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries into a single refrigerated destination creates what Cal Giant’s Oberman calls a powerful “billboard effect” — a vibrant color block that acts as a focal point in the store. “This centralized destination increases the average basket size by encouraging cross-purchases; research often shows that shoppers entering the aisle for strawberries are significantly more likely to pick up a second or third berry variety when they are displayed together.”

In addition to conventional offerings, retailers can incorporate organic berries, premium berries, such as Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch, and other items, like goldenberries and pom arils, creating an opportunity to upsell and increase penetration, says Andy Smith, director of procurement for Katzman Produce.

“Retailers that integrate organic berries into their berry patch displays have seen organic berry sales increase by up to 100%, compared with merchandising organic and conventional berries separately.”

6. PROMPT & PROMOTE THE PURCHASE

Suggestive selling opportunities for berries are strongest when retailers align prompts with how consumers live, eat, and shop.

For families, convenience and choice drive incremental sales, says Paola Martin, marketing coordinator for Gem-Pack Berries in Irvine, CA. “Retailers can pair berries with smoothie kits, or protein powders to encourage on-the-go smoothies, or merchandise them alongside healthy snacks that make an ideal addition to school lunch packs.”

For sports and fitness shoppers, health messaging converts intent into action. “That health halo has really helped berries,” says Morton Williams’ Goldman, making benefit-driven signage and proximity to products like Greek yogurt effective sales drivers.

For Millennials, adds Naturipe’s Moran, “pair berries with charcuterie items like cheeses, nuts, chocolate, and sparkling beverages for cross-merchandising success.”

In-store, rotating display graphics by season or theme provide shoppers with a constantly fresh perspective on the use of berries, says Hailey Clark, director of marketing for Sun Belle LLC, in Schiller Park, IL. “There are endless opportunities, including powerful facts about berry nutrition for the new year health kick, holiday recipe inspiration, and back-to-school berry hacks.”

Finally, price promotion is also key.

“I’m usually promoting berries 48 out of 52 weeks, and 85 to 90% of the time, I’m promoting them together. We want multiple SKUs so people can grab one of each.”
— Jeff Cady, Northeast Grocery, Inc., Schenectady, NY

“I’m usually promoting berries 48 out of 52 weeks, and 85 to 90% of the time, I’m promoting them together. We want multiple SKUs so people can grab one of each,” says Cady.