Fresh fruits and vegetables are withstanding the shopper crackdown on food expenditures.

Forty-eight percent of consumers, for instance, reported they were cooking at home more to mitigate inflation’s impact on meal preparation, according to a September survey by NielsenIQ, a New York-based consumer intelligence firm. That is up two points from January 2025.

Yet fresh produce is the top category in which shoppers plan to increase spending over the next year with 33% predicting larger outlays, up three points from 2025, NielsenIQ reports. Consumers have the highest intention to reduce spending in “indulgent” categories, including alcoholic beverages, snacks, and confectionaries, NielsenIQ states.

“Fruit and vegetable sales performance stands to remain relatively healthy as consumers pull back on categories that they consider non-essential or indulgent,” said Tim Strandlund, NielsenIQ director of insights for fresh, pantry and naturals.

Most shoppers also are willing to pay more for fresh selections instead of buying lower-priced frozen and canned varieties, NielsenIQ reports, noting that fresh fruit and fresh vegetables account for 87% and 83%, respectively, of overall category dollar sales.

Fresh green bean revenues, for instance, grew 3.4% in a recent 52-week period, outpacing both frozen and canned varieties despite a price per pound that is 33% higher than frozen and 173% greater than canned, NielsenIQ states. 

Produce costs also are relatively steady with per pound prices down about 0.7% for fresh fruit and up about 1.3% for fresh vegetables over the last year, NielsenIQ states, adding that there was an approximately 2.4% price per unit increase across all food and beverage categories. 

“With shoppers’ budgets straining from recent inflation, fruits and vegetables have been an area of relief over the past year,” Strandlund said. Retailers, however, should “manage any upcoming price increases with caution, as an increase may lead shoppers to omit some produce choices from their baskets.” he said.

The spotlighting of less popular produce on social media is contributing to greater category activity as well, NielsenIQ reports. Figs, for instance, had a 12% sales gain over the last year, while revenues were also up for kiwis (36%), mangoes (11%), sweet potatoes (17%), mini cucumbers (10%), tangelos (42%) and Cosmic Crisp apples (53%), NielsenIQ states.

“These demand surges for unique varieties may have caught retailers off-guard,” resulting in lost sales opportunities, Strandlund said. For instance, less than half the stores selling fresh fruit last year were offering figs, he said.

It is important that merchandising is clear and inventories are plentiful if retailers are to maintain sales momentum, Strandlund said. “Fruits and vegetables are positioned to capitalize on consumers shifting to cooking at home,” he said.