Potatoes USA looks to build retail potato volume

Finding the right strategy to increase both sales dollars and volume of potato sales is a continuing challenge for today’s potato industry, and Ross Johnson is taking on that mission. Johnson, global marketing manager for retail at Potatoes USA, spoke Aug. 31 at the Idaho Grower Shippers Association convention in Sun Valley. Johnson reviewed retail sales and volume data which reveal higher dollar sales of potatoes but lower volume in recent quarters. For the quarter ending July 2, Johnson said that prices for potatoes at retail (fresh, deli, frozen, dehydrated and refrigerated) rose 0.6% but volume of potatoes sold dipped 1.9%. That decrease followed respective declines of 0.8%, 1.8% and 1.7% in the previous three quarters. Retail statistics complied by Potatoes USA show that total fresh potato sales were up 2.2% in the quarter ending July 2, while volume of fresh potatoes sold at retail declined 2.4%. More