2024 Demand for Sweetpotatoes

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH CURRENT DEMAND FOR SWEETPOTATOES?

sweetpotato Commi ion

Source: NCSPC 2024 Sweetpotato A&U Survey unless otherwise noted. Sweetpotato consumers were surveyed from a group of 1,200 participants.

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SHOPPER INSIGHTS SWEETPOTATOES HAVE SLIGHTLY SLUMPED IN POPULARITY WITH CONSUMERS DESPITE BEING SEEN AS HEALTHY AND GENERALLY WELL-LIKED. puree + mash puree + mash steamed puree + mash dollar sign

steamed

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slow cooker

adult + 1 kid

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2023 SHOWED A SLIGHT DECREASE IN DEMAND FROM CONSUMERS

SWEETPOTATOES POSSESS WIDE APPEAL AS A HEALTHY VEGETABLE AND ARE MORE WELL-LIKED THAN OTHER “YEAR-ROUND VEGETABLES,” SUCH AS CAULIFLOWER AND SQUASH

THERE IS A LINGERING PERCEPTION SURROUNDING SWEETPOTATOES AS BEING

LIMITED TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH A LACK OF PROMOTIONS AND EFFORTS TO DRIVE DEMAND ALL YEAR LONG

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WHO IS THE SWEETPOTATO CONSUMER? dollar sign adult + 1 kid

skyscraper/urban iphone

boomer

can

pantry

dollar sign $100,000/YEAR INCOME

adult + 1 kid HAS 0-1 CHILD

MORE LIKELY TO BE ASIAN OR HISPANIC

pantry people silos THE CORE DEMOGRAPHIC OF OUR CONSUMERS TENDS TO BE WITHIN THE 45-50+ AGE RANGE dollars and coins

boomer MOSTLY LIVES IN SOUTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN STATES action icon

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skyscraper/urban globe

high income

healthy eater

adult + 1 kid Based on Packer Fresh Trends, 2023

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high income

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rural

b-day cake (celebration?)

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skyscraper/urban

boomer

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adult + 1 kid

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high income

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rural

iphone

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HIGH-FREQUENCY SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS WHILE OUR HIGH-FREQUENCY CONSUMERS ARE PRIMARILY AGED 18-34, WE ALSO OBSERVE STRONG INTEREST FROM THE 45-54 AGE GROUP, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT INVOLVES SELECTING PARTICULAR RECIPES.

YOUNGER SWEETPOTATO BUYERS b-day cake (celebration?)

quote icon HIGH-INCOME SWEETPOTATO BUYERS people silos

urban

URBAN SWEETPOTATO BUYERS

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iphone 3.6 TIMES PER MONTH

skyscraper/urban 3.1 TIMES PER MONTH

can dollars and coins 3.5 TIMES PER MONTH dollar sign

shopping list

healthy eater

adult + 1 kid

pantry MOST LIKELY TO PURCHASE FOR A SPECIFIC RECIPE

people silos MOST LIKELY TO PURCHASE SWEETPOTATOES WEEKLY

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37% 18 TO 34 YEAR-OLDS

38% 45 TO 54 YEAR-OLDS

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healthy eater

UK ag / Big Ben

joyful cook

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avor explorer

French ag / Ei el Tower

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boomer

COOKING ICONS

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fried

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uncooked

WHAT’S COOKING WITH SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS? slow cooker boomer COOKING ICONS

ry

high income

baked

u

COOKING ICONS

fried

boiled

air fryer

fried

instant pot

OKING ICONS

baked

uncooked

high income

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rural

70% OF SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS ENJOY COOKING baked air fryer COOKING ICONS uncooked

COOKING ICONS

fried

in

uncooked

boiled

grilled

stews + soups

boiled

baked

fried

instant pot

rural

h income con

urban

HOW PEOPLE LIKE THEIR SWEETPOTATOES COOKING ICONS baked fried

uncooked

boiled

a

instant pot

grilled

COOKING ICONS

grilled

stews + soups

roasted

casserole

baked

uncooked

fried

instant pot

boiled

air fryer

uncooked

urban

rural

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shopping list

baked BAKED 43% roasted

fried FRIED 10%

boiled BOILED 11%

grilled GRILLED 12% uncooked

roasted ROASTED 18% instant pot

instant pot

stew

air fryer

uncooked

OOKING ICONS

casserole

baked

steamed

puree + mash

fried

grilled

stews + soups

boiled

air fryer

instant pot

shopping list

urban en

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boiled

air fryer

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c

grilled UNCOOKED * 5% stews + soups uncooked

stews + soups

fried STEAMED 11% steamed

instant pot puree + mash

steamed air fryer AIR FRYER 9%

slow cooker SLOW COOKER 9%

instant pot INSTANT POT 7% casserole

baked

fried

boiled

roasted

grilled

air fryer

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pping list eater

UK ag / Big Ben

grilled

stews + soups

steamed

pur

roasted instant pot CASSEROLE 13% casserole

casserole

boiled

air fryer

slow cooker stews + soups

fried

slow cooker

boiled steamed

air fryer puree + mash PUREED AND MASHED 4%

grilled

stews + soups STEWS, CURRY, CHILI, AND SOUPS 6%

roasted

UK ag / Big Ben

of potatoes plorer

roasted French ag / Ei el Tower *NCSPC does not endorse or promote any recipes utilizing uncooked sweetpotatoes.

casserole

slow cooker

steamed air fryer

puree + mash

grilled

stews + soups

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boiled

grilled slow cooker

stews + soups

ncsweetpotatoes.com puree + mash

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DINNER DOMINATES WHILE DINNER REMAINS THE MOST POPULAR MEAL FOR SWEETPOTATOES, BREAKFAST IS ALSO A GROWING OCCASION FOR THEIR USE, PARTICULARLY IN HEALTHIER AND MORE INNOVATIVE RECIPES.

10% SNACK BETWEEN LUNCH AND DINNER

13% LUNCH

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69% DINNER

5% AFTER DINNER SNACK 3% OTHER boomer boomer

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skyscraper/urban

adult + 1 kid

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adult + 1 kid

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high income

PANTRY ESSENTIAL adult + 1 kid

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high income

action icon SHARE RECIPES FOR A VERSATILE RANGE OF COOKING METHODS, MEALTIMES, AND COOKING DEVICES, SUCH AS AIR FRYERS ACTION quote icon

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rural

25% SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS REGULARLY STOCK THEM IN THEIR PANTRIES. b-day cake (celebration?) globe

action icon b-day cake (celebration?)

rural

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urban

iphone CONSUMERS OVERWHELMINGLY CHOOSE FRESH can quote icon iphone

b-day cake (celebration?)

urban

can

shopping list

people silos 84% WANT FRESH SWEETPOTATOES iphone uncooked

frozen

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can 28% CHOOSE CANNED

frozen 14% PREFER FROZEN

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people silos

5

dollars and coins

ncsweetpotatoes.com healthy eater

UK ag / Big Ben

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ncsweetpotatoes.com ? 6 Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free GMO Price Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free Availability/seasonality GMO Price Nutritional bene ts How to prepare,cook and season Where sweetpotatoes were grown How to storesweetpotatoesproperly Expiration date HOW TO PREPARE, COOK AND SEASON 24% Price Nutritional bene ts How to prepare,cook and season Where sweetpotatoes were grown How to storesweetpotatoesproperly Expiration date WHERE SWEETPOTATOES WERE GROWN 23% Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free Availability/seasonality GMO Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free Availability/seasonality GMO Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety SUSTAINABILITY 18% Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free GMO GROWER INFO 16% Safety Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free Availability/seasonality GMO GMO-FREE 12% Sustainability Grower info Calories Safety GMO-free Availability/seasonality GMO AVAILABILITY/ SEASONALITY 11%

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SWEETPOTATOES Nutritional bene ts Price

Price

Certain educational barriers prevent consumers from buying. While the general sweet potato consumer cares about storage information and its sustainability, different groups have different needs and questions that need to be answered to unlock potential barriers to buying. Nutritional bene ts How to prepare,cook and season

Nutritional bene ts

Price

Where sweetpotatoes were grown

How to prepare,cook and season

Price PRICE 53%

Nutritional bene ts NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS 31% Sustainability

How to prepare,cook and season

onal bene ts

How to storesweetpotatoesproperly

Where sweetpotatoes were grown

Price

How to prepare,cook and season

Nutritional bene ts

Sustainability Where sweetpotatoes were grown

are,cook and season

Expiration date EXPIRATION DATE 21% Grower info

HOW TO STORE SWEETPOTATOES PROPERLY 23% Grower info

Price

How to storesweetpotatoesproperly Nutritional bene ts

Where sweetpotatoes were grown

How to prepare,cook and season

Expiration date How to prepare,cook and season How to storesweetpotatoesproperly Calories

tional bene ts otatoes were grown

How to storesweetpotatoesproperly

Ava

Where sweetpotatoes were grown

CALORIES 15%

Expiration date SAFETY 12%

Expiration date

pare,cook and season Calories weetpotatoesproperly

Where sweetpotatoes were grown

GMO

How to storesweetpotatoesproperly

tpotatoes were grown Safety ration date

How to storesweetpotatoesproperly GMO-free

DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS POSE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS

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COOKING ICONS COOKING ICONS boomer boomer

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adult + 1 kid adult + 1 kid

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BABY BOOMERS WANT TO SEE DETAILS ABOUT NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION AND GEOGRAPHY

HIGH INCOME HOUSEHOLDS PRIORITIZE KNOWING THAT THEIR SWEETPOTATOES ARE GMO-FREE *

high income high income

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rural rural

fried fried

rural rural

ay cake (celebration?) ay cake (celebration?)

quote icon quote icon RURAL CONSUMERS CARE ABOUT GEOGRAPHY AND WHERE THEIR SWEETPOTATOES CAME FROM

urban urban

boiled boiled URBAN CONSUMERS FIXATE ON USE-BY DATES AND SAFETY INFO ABOUT THEIR SWEETPOTATOES

urban urban

iphone iphone

can can

grilled grilled shopping list shopping list

*All sweetpotatoes are 100% GMO free.

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MEET THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT NEW AND YOUNGER CONSUMERS boiled

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urban

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46% OF SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS SEARCH FOR NEW RECIPES WEEKLY, HIGHEST AMONG YOUNGER CONSUMERS. shopping list

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Attract a new audience of sweetpotato users by targeting younger urban and suburban health-conscious consumers, plus appeal to specific buyer profiles who like to explore flavors, take joy in cooking, and seek healthy food choices.

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SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS AREN’T SEEING A LOT OF MEAL INSPIRATION

healthy eater 65% PREPARE MEALS THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH COOKING

7% VIEWED ON YOUTUBE

6% FOUND IT ON THE INTERNET

slow cooker 6% SAW IT ON A RESTAURANT MENU

UK ag / Big Ben

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French ag / Ei el Tower

6% FROM A COOKBOOK

5% FRIENDS, FAMILY, COLLEAGUES (WORD OF MOUTH)

4% SOCIAL NETWORKS

4% COOKING SHOW

joyful cook

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HOW SWEETPOTATO BUYERS USE SHOPPING LISTS urban

grille

56% SWEETPOTATO BUYERS WHO BRING A MENTAL OR WRITTEN LIST TO THE STORE. 41% SWEETPOTATO BUYERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BUILD A LIST THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

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KEY ACTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

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REACH NEW CONSUMERS THROUGH RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ONLINE, AND IN-STORE

bag of potatoes • Create recipes to help new consumers discover sweetpotatoes. Sweetpotatoes index higher than other vegetables for meal exploration and are ripe for discovery through online recipe sharing, and in-store recipe cards. • Create video content demonstrating sweetpotato recipes on YouTube and short form videos that appeal to younger consumers and the three high opportunity buyer profiles looking for ways to cook and flavor sweetpotatoes. • Provide QR codes in-store that make accessing new recipes a breeze for tech-savvy young urban consumers.

steame

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CREATE EXPERIENCES FOR ADVENTUROUS YOUNGER CONSUMERS INTERESTED IN NEW FLAVORS

UK ag / Big Ben

• Partner with retailers to develop in-store activities and cooking demos that cater to younger consumers and the three target consumers: healthy, flavorful, and joyful cooks. • Cater to the palette of younger consumers who favor spicy, sweet and sour tastes. Find adventurous new ways sweetpotatoes can be used across social platforms that may generate online chatter and headlines.

slow coo

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air fryer

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ENGAGE CONSUMERS ALL YEAR LONG WITH HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE MESSAGES puree + mash

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59% OF CONSUMERS CONSIDER SWEETPOTATOES TO BE HEALTHY

Sweetpotatoes have a health halo and consumers generally see them as a healthy food they enjoy purchasing and using fresh.

1 IN 3 CONSUMERS USE NUTRITIONAL INFO TO GUIDE THEIR PURCHASES

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KEY ACTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

1

USE BAGS AS A BILLBOARD TO SHOWCASE NUTRITIONAL INFO, ATTRACTIVE USAGE IDEAS, GROWERS, AND UNDERLINE SUSTAINABILITY • Bags offer a natural place for people to find the info and nutritional data they seek about sweetpotatoes before buying. • Highlight inspiring usage ideas and recipes showing attractive images of prepared sweetpotatoes. • Inspire consumers with appealing usage ideas, introduce them to the growers behind the produce, and emphasize the sustainability practices that ensure quality from farm to table. CREATE HEALTHY RECIPES THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC DIETARY CONCERNS • Provide healthy recipes with nutritional data that can be easily shared across social media and wellness publications. • Highlight the benefits of sweetpotatoes by emphasizing their “low” content in areas consumers want to avoid, such as carbs and fat. • Tap niches for potential superusers, sweetpotatoes align with the meal prep and healthy eating audience. POSITION SWEETPOTATO AS HEALTHY, ESPECIALLY VS. WHITE POTATO IN-STORE • Create in-store signage, handouts, and recipes that frame sweetpotatoes as the healthier choice to substitute for white potatoes while shopping. • Enlist support from dietitians and health professionals online, in apps, and in wellness publications. • Increase visibility of sweetpotatoes as a healthy swap for white potatoes in recipes.

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INCREASE VISIBILITY AND PUT SWEETPOTATOES WITHIN EASIER REACH YEAR-ROUND

34% OF SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS REPORT THEM HARD TO FIND IN STORES CREATING VISIBILITY IS KEY TO CAPTURING THE ATTENTION OF NEW SWEETPOTATO CONSUMERS AND DRIVING MORE CONSUMERS TO REPEATEDLY PURCHASE. “ ”

WHAT TRIGGERS SWEETPOTATO PURCHASES?

34% CHOOSE SWEETPOTATOES AS A HEALTHY

30% FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION

30% FOR A SPECIFIC, OCCASIONAL RECIPE

27% AS A WEEKLY STAPLE

ALTERNATIVE TO WHITE POTATOES.

20% FOR A NEW RECIPE

16% RECIPE RECOMMENDATION FROM FRIENDS OR FAMILY

14% AS SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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KEY ACTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

1

WORK WITH RETAILERS TO RAISE VISIBILITY AND INCREASE PURCHASE TRIGGERS • Introduce sweetpotato convenience foods, such as precut diced/cubed sweetpotatoes, and prepared sweetpotatoes in the deli section. • Inspire and educate produce associates on best practices for handling, storing, and displaying through enhanced communication and tools, including backroom posters. • Take calls with grocers to secure showcasing opportunities through in-store, digital, retail app and website. • Utilize in-store signage and handouts to educate consumers on nutritional info, use-by dates, and emphasize sustainability qualities. PLAN INNOVATIVE PROMOTIONS ALL. YEAR. LONG. • Address the lack of year-round promotions beyond the holiday season at every level, from consumer advertising to in-store promotions to foster more consistent demand patterns and increase overall sales. • Showcase sweetpotatoes through interactive events and in-store cooking classes to pull consumers through. • Promote with Point-of-Sale (POS), handouts, and QR codes that instantly link con sumers to the info that removes barriers to buying and inspires them, including nutritional info, how-to content, using sweetpotatoes to make healthy swaps, new recipes that encourage people to explore using sweetpotatoes, and profiles of growers and farmers. MAKE THEM EASIER TO FIND IN-STORE • Sweetpotatoes are often a planned purchase. Making them easier to find makes for easier purchasing. • Enhance in-store visibility with bags, which are easier for retail associates to stock. • Cross-merchandise bags in the meat department to promote meal solutions.

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700 E Parrish Drive, Suite C Benson, North Carolina 27504 Phone: (919) 894-1067 Fax: (919) 894-7018

@NCSweetPotatoes

sweetpotato Commi ion

ncsweetpotatoes.com