Digital engagement, especially with younger shoppers, helps drive fruit and vegetable consumption and is reshaping the way produce is marketed and sold.

According to a new report from the Food Industry Association, 94% of produce shoppers actively use social media platforms and 36% discover new fruits and vegetables online.

Meal preparation also is being inspired by digital sources, as 53% of consumers use recipes and dishes found on social media at least once a week.

And social media sensations can make a huge difference for commodities.

Fresh cucumber sales surged 8.8% in 2024, a jump of $164 million, thanks in part to the #cucumbersalad trend.

Gen Z and Millennials also are turning to artificial intelligence for meal ideas.

“The Power of Produce 2025” report, released March 7, encouraged businesses to leverage the power of social media and stressed that the digital arena is likely to continue to grow in importance as purchasing power shifts away from Baby Boomers.

Seamless integration

Younger shoppers prefer convenience, organic options and social media discovery, said Rick Stein, the association’s vice president of fresh foods.

“Retailers have a tremendous opportunity to engage this audience through cross-merchandising, variety and seamless integration of digital and in-store experiences,” Stein added, in a news release.

Embracing trends can meet the expectations of younger shoppers and cultivate a new generation of lifelong produce consumers, he said.

Online shopping

Produce ecommerce experienced growth in 2024.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a huge spike of people purchasing produce online in 2020, when about 64% of consumers bought fruit and vegetables online.

That figure gradually decreased but appears to have rebounded to about 47% of shoppers.

Online shopping skews toward more affluent households and is part of a more digital lifestyle combined with a focus on convenience.

Value-added convenience

Convenience also resulted in the use of more value-added produce, such as sliced fruit or bagged salads.

Value-added fruits and vegetables generated $14.6 billion in 2024, up slightly from the previous year, and with more modest gains than conventional produce.

Growth in value-added produce is tied to people preparing more meals at home as they eat out less often.

Sales figures

Fresh fruit and vegetable sales reached a record high $92.3 billion in 2024, up 3.2% from the previous year, according to the report.

That increase outpaced mild inflation for produce.

Pound sales rose to 50.1 billion, the highest level since 2020 and up 3.1% over 2023.

Price leads the way in purchasing decisions, but other important factors are usually in play.

Those include the quality and appearance of produce, nutrition and eye-catching displays, according to the report.