TRENDS
The retail channel accounted for 35% of total U.S. honey volume in 2019, at 213MM pounds the largest of any segment1.
Retail honey sales shot ahead in 2020, with dollar sales up 24.4% over 2019. Unit sales and volume also advanced dramatically compared to 2019, up 20.0% and 25.0% respectively2.
Branded honey outperformed private label sales in the retail channel in 2020, with branded dollar sales ahead 25.7% compared to 22.7% for private label. As a consequence, private label’s share of dollar sales slipped from 48.0% in 2015 down to 44.2% in 20202.
Honey labeled as “raw” represented 30.9% of total volume in 2020, growing 29.2% over 2019 while “processed” honey increased 23.1%. Organic accounted for 11.9% of total honey volume in 2020 and posted growth of 33.8%, nearly double the 5.8% volume share it had just five years ago in 20152.
The 12 ounce size continues to reign as the #1-seller in the retail channel, accounting for 24% of all honey dollar sales. However, while dollar sales of the 12 ounce size increased 16.8% over the prior year, the 40 ounce size saw sales soar 50.8% versus YAG to post the largest increase of any size followed by the 32 ounce size which boasted 34.2% growth2.
1 Source: USDA/ERS; Nielsen; Technomic
2 Source: Nielsen Scantrak - Answers on Demand Core, xAOC (Week Ending 11/28/20)