Hass Avocado Board Study Finds Quality, Pricing and Selection Drive Avocado Purchase Decision

The Hass Avocado Board’s study Shopper Purchase Decisions and Influences – Driving Hass Avocado Sales at Retail and its companion piece, Path-to-Purchase Action Guide, found that the majority of shoppers ranked three factors as most important when considering the purchase of avocados. Shoppers placed quality, pricing and selection at the top of the list, while secondary features like size and organic generally played a lesser role in the purchase decision. 

“This study helps retailers understand which factors and perceptions at shelf shoppers rank as most influential in their decision to purchase avocados,” says Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board. “Understanding how shoppers make the decision to purchase avocados is essential to optimizing shopper satisfaction and driving sales of Hass avocados in produce departments.”

Quality, pricing and selection are the three top-rated factors by shoppers regardless of their avocado usage level. Both heavier buyers (purchase 37 or more avocados per year) and lighter buyers (purchase 1–36 avocados per year) rated ripeness, firmness, unblemished/unbruised as very important or somewhat important attributes. Approximately 43 percent of shoppers prefer to purchase avocados that are perfectly ripe, with somewhat smaller percentages of shoppers selecting under ripe or mixed as their preferred degree of ripeness, depending on the need. 

Pricing ranks as a top concern for all buyers and can spur incremental purchases. For example, heavier buyers selected “they were the right price” or “they were on sale” as reasons for adding more avocados to their basket than planned.

Selection is also a top concern. Nearly all avocado shoppers buy bulk avocados. However, heavier buyers are more likely than lighter buyers to purchase bagged avocados. Eighteen percent of heavier buyers purchased bagged avocados during their last shopping trip, while five percent of lighter buyers purchased avocados in bags.

The study also helps marketers and retailers target specific shoppers by revealing the demographic differences between heavier and lighter buyers. For example, heavier buyers are more likely than lighter buyers to be younger, male, Hispanic and have higher incomes.