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onions merchandising review Seize On Power Of Onions
Promoting this pungent, healthy sales leader should be a year-round endeavor for retailers.
OBY HOWARD RIELL
nions are a great story to tell — one that includes globe-spanning ethnic cui- sines and recipes, a host of health bene ts and promo-
tions that successfully generate trial in the produce department.
“Onions are really considered food’s best friend,” says Herb Haun, chairman of the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee. “ ey add a nature avor to so many dishes. It is wise for retailers to provide that constant reminder to consumers that onions make things just taste better.”
As a result, onion sales are steadily growing, according to the National Onion
Association in Greeley, CO. “And that was with 1% more onions on the market,” says René Hardwick, the association’s director of public and industry relations. “Prices were up to $1.19 per pound, which was up 6.8%.” In fact, the United Fresh Produce Association says that rst-quarter 2019 onion sales hit $554 million, up a whopping 7.9% from the same time last year.
In addition, the USDA reports that onion prices have dropped from $16.50 per hundredweight in 2016 to $14.40 in 2017, and down again to $13.50 in 2018, a 6% dip year to year.
Onions remain one of the cleanest, safest- to-eat vegetables on the market. ey are, explains Hardwick, naturally composed of the perfect defense mechanisms against bacteria and disease in the eld. “ eir hard, papery skins naturally keep them out. And the pungent juices on the inside make for an inhospitable climate for those little bugs. Imagine how awful it must be for tiny little bugs when cutting onions brings a full grown human to tears.”
And retailers are doing their part to keep up with the trend toward convenienct being demanded by Millennial and Generation Z shoppers, Hardwick points out. “What’s handy is that many groceries today are providing pre-cut, sliced and diced onions in their produce aisles.”
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