Think Celery is Retail Snoozefest? Think Again

This versatile staple is the Rodney Dangerfield of produce.

Celery gets no respect. Few people praise the taste of a particular variety, because, after all, it is just celery. And when was the last time you saw someone lower their soup spoon in culinary amazement to ask “where did you get this celery?”

The anonymity of this humble vegetable can be explained by the fact that, according to the Mayo Clinic Health system, celery is 95% water. And yet, American consumers still eat 1.5 billion pounds of these sinewy stalks, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, because celery is a staple in soups, casseroles and turkey stuffing.

“Celery is an item that sells itself during the holidays,” says Karim Wahhab, produce director at Draeger’s Market, Los Altos, CA.

However, celery consumption has declined from 6.3 pounds in 2000 to 4.2 pounds in 2022, according to USDA statistics.

The generations that spent more time in the kitchen may be passing, but they are being replaced by a new generation of health-conscious consumers who have new uses for celery, and retailers can creatively tap into that trend to sell more.

“Celery is an incredibly versatile vegetable that can be incorporated into a wide range of recipes, from juicing to soups, salads, and everyone’s favorite dips,” says Nichole Towell, senior director of marketing and innovation at Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Oviedo, FL.

Andrew Duda started Duda Farm Fresh Foods a century ago with 40 acres and ambitious dreams. The company has grown to become a nationwide family operation with fields in Arizona, California, Michigan and Florida, shipping fresh celery, celery hearts, broccoli and cauliflower year-round.

“We grow our own proprietary celery varieties. Dandy Celery is naturally sweeter and has fewer strings compared to other brands,” says Towell. “We pick our celery and pack it the same day, so it is at the peak of freshness. With almost 185 years of celery research behind our celery, you can feel confident choosing Dandy Fresh.”

HEALTH BENEFITS

Some of the newer uses for celery may provide expanding opportunities among younger consumers for retailers.

“People use celery for juicing and will buy seven heads at a time,” says Hope Galvin, produce manager at Community Co-op Market, Tallahassee, FL. “Celery is a staple.”

Consumers who buy celery for juicing are a nutrition-conscious group willing to pay a little more for the promise of a healthier product. “People buy organic celery to juice,” says Wahhab.

Juiced celery is appealing to health enthusiasts because it has substantial nutritional value and almost no calories.

According to the Mayo Clinic, two stalks of celery contain only 15 calories. Aside from its low-calorie count, celery contains dietary fiber, vitamin K, and lesser amounts of vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.

And with snacking on the rise, celery can also serve as a healthy carrier for hummus, peanut butter or creamy cheeses.

Taylor Farms has developed two value-added products — bites and 3-inch sticks — designed to make it more convenient to use celery in healthy snacks.

“The bites and 3-inch sticks are typically with the core veg or snacking assortment, while the hearts and full-sized are shelved with the field pack/wet rack commodities,” says Brian Riordan, product director of core veg and veg trays at Taylor Farms, Salinas, CA. “It allows consumers to find celery in the location that fits their use. Cross-merchandising the bites or stick varieties with various dips or peanut butter would be for snacking or party occasions.”

Some retailers try to accommodate consumers who find an entire head of celery to be a bit too much. “We have a lot of older people here, so I get requests to cut it in half, which I do,” says Steve Mason, produce manager at Grove Market, Pacific Grove, CA.

The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center recommends never stacking celery more than four high in from-field transportation, storage or shipping crates. Temperature control is essential to keeping the product looking good, and the center says celery usually is stored, and when possible, transported at 34 degrees F and 85% relative humidity.

OPTIMAL PLACEMENT

Celery is typically displayed at retail in refrigeration near complementary vegetables. “We have it with the carrot bags to the left and the leeks to the right when we have them,” says Community Co-op’s Galvin.

“The best way to cross-merchandise celery is to place it near dips so shoppers can easily add it to their basket along with their favorite dip.”
— Nichole Towell, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Oviedo, FL

Optimal placement depends on how your customers use celery. “The best way to cross-merchandise celery is to place it near dips so shoppers can easily add it to their basket along with their favorite dip,” advises Towell, of Duda. “For other recipes like soups, consider placing coupons or recipe cards by the celery that highlight the additional products needed for those recipes.”

You can bunch the celery together to make a visible display. “We have them four rows lying down with the cut end out,” says Grove Market’s Mason.

The display must be kept attractive. “We make them look good by trimming them,” says Draeger’s Market’s Wahhab.

While soup and casserole cooks tend to be older and vegetable juicers younger, there is no overall data on the age and income of the typical celery consumer. “We are currently working on a study that will give us this information,” says Riordan, of Taylor Farms. “We are hoping to have up-to-date information in the near future.”

YEAR-ROUND STAPLE

Celery is available year-round from one West Coast location or another. California leads national production, though Michigan is often credited with having the first commercial production.

“We grow celery in the Salinas Valley from July through November,” says Riordan. “After that, the celery industry moves south to Oxnard and Mexico.”

Retailers can source celery from somewhere every week of the year, and availability should not be a difficult challenge. “It is seasonal, but you can always find it,” says Galvin.