IFPA 2025: A More Complex, More Data-Driven Produce Industry
The produce category has never been more dynamic.
Walking the floor at this year’s IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show, one thing became clear: the days of strightforward category structures are long gone. It’s not as simple as “apples and bananas.”
Today’s produce aisles are filled with new product formats, flavor-forward varietals, and an ever-expanding range of packaging options designed to meet evolving shopper needs. We left the show energized by the industry’s continued growth and excited by data’s role in helping marketers and retailers navigate these new opportunities.
Packaging Is Now a Growth Lever, Not Just a Container
Produce Packaging from IFPA 2025
Packaged produce formats have accelerated since the pandemic. Consumers’ demand for convenience, portion control, and confidence in quality has prompted brands and retailers to continue to innovate packaging. From bagged avocados to pre-cut watermelon and snackable walnuts, the choices keep expanding.
With that expansion comes complexity. Each new product configuration affects pricing, display strategy, and perception of value, all ultimately influencing shopper decisions. It’s no longer whether to augment the product mix with packaged produce, it’s which package sizes and formats will actually drive growth.
Varieties and Flavor Innovation Take Center Stage
Varietal and flavor innovation also stood out as a major theme at IFPA 2025. Breeding programs focused on sweetness, texture, and eating experience are redefining the competitive landscape across categories like berries, grapes, apples, and citrus. Premium and limited-edition varieties are drawing shopper attention and creating opportunities for differentiation.
This evolution creates both opportunity and complexity. Marketing varieties is more than just quantity of choice. It’s about using flavor, quality, and storytelling to create emotional connections that inspire repeat purchase and build loyalty.
Turning Complexity Into Clarity
Data analysis helps separate signal from noise, revealing what’s truly driving category performance and what’s simply adding clutter to the aisle. That requires going deeper than topline sales to uncover the impact of product mix across regions and retail channels. As the produce category continues to become more segmented and more sophisticated, the real advantage lies in making sense of it all.
The retailers and marketers who use data not just to measure performance but to shape it will define the future of the produce department. Fusion’s work centers on helping produce organizations and commodity boards translate complexity into clarity — through data-driven insights that strengthen strategy, merchandising, and communication
Growth doesn’t come from simply offering more choices. It comes from cultivating options that truly matter.
Learn how Fusion can help navigate growth opportunities. Contact us to start a conversation.