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Despite the national trend toward more healthful eating, donuts maintained sales, dropping just 0.5 percent in per-week-per-store sales nationwide. Donuts also outperformed total bakery department growth, which regressed 1.5 percent in dollar sales.

Donuts are the largest subcategory of breakfast items, accounting for 34.1 percent of breakfast bakery dollar sales during the previous year and contributing 7.3 percent to total bakery department sales. Assorted/variety bulk donuts accounted for the majority of donut dollar sales with a 46.7 percent share across the United States, followed by yeast donuts with 30.1 percent share. The traditional ring yeast donut dominated sales of yeast donuts with 76.7 percent share, followed by fritters, which accounted for 12.3 percent.

Nationally, donuts averaged $707 in per-week-perstore sales, only a $4 drop from 2009. Donut sales peaked during the week of Feb. 20, 2010, at $860 per week per store, corresponding with Fat Tuesday and the start of Lent, when paczkis are popular. This peak came shortly after the lowest sales week, which ended Jan. 2, 2010, with $596 per week per store. While the total donut category peaked in February, assorted/variety donuts peaked the week of May 15, 2010, and yeast donuts peaked the week of June 12, 2010, coinciding with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day respectively.

Donut sales varied wildly by region. The Central region loves its donuts, as evidenced by the highest average weekly dollar sales of $1,225 per store–73.4 percent higher than the national average. Average sales in the South and East regions were below the national average, with $575 and $598 per week per store respectively. Muffins and bagels are stronger breakfast options in the East, and other sweetgoods are popular in the South, leaving fewer sales for donuts in those regions. With $727 per week per store, the West region ranked slightly above the total U.S. average.

Donuts in the Central region contributed the most to overall bakery department sales, with 11.8 percent. The East region presents the largest opportunity for donuts, as they contribute just 4.3 percent to the total bakery department.

As the push for healthier lifestyles continues, the donut remains a favorite guilty pleasure and an inexpensive treat in a down economy.

This sales review, provided by the Perishables Group FreshFacts® powered by Nielsen, includes supermarket in-store bakery scanner data results from the 52 weeks ended July 31, 2010, representing 63.2 percent of national supermarket ACV share. For more information, contact the Perishables Group’s Kelli Beckel by phone: 773/929-7013, or e-mail: KelliB@perishablesgroup.com.