New research by Worldpanel by Numerator has found that French households purchased 5.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables over the year to 6 September, with bananas, potatoes and tomatoes the leading products purchased.
French households spent €15.9 billion on fruit and vegetable purchases during the year, an increase of 3.4% year on year, while the volume purchased rose by 1.3%.
Top purchases
Bananas ranked first among fruits purchased, with 476,000 tonnes, although volumes declined by 0.5% compared with the previous year. Some 91% of French households bought bananas.
Apples ranked second, with 369,000 tonnes purchased, down 3.8%, followed by oranges at 261,000 tonnes, a decline of 5.2%. Apples were purchased by 86% of households, while oranges were purchased by just under two thirds (64%).
In terms of vegetable sales, potatoes were the most purchased item by volume, with 721,000 tonnes purchased, down 1.4% year on year, Worldpanel by Numerator noted. Tomatoes ranked second at 419,000 tonnes, an increase of 2.4%, while carrots were third at 257,000 tonnes, up 0.4%.
Tomatoes accounted the highest share of category spending, accounting for 10.1% of expenditure on fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes were also among the products purchased most frequently, alongside bananas, with households buying each around 20 times a year on average.
Fast movers
In terms of the fastest movers, meanwhile, watermelon recorded one of the strongest increases in the category, Worldpanel by Numerator said. Purchases rose by 30.4% in volume and spending increased by 38.7%, with 100,000 tonnes bought during the period.
The figures also showed growth in avocado purchases. Volumes reached 140,000 tonnes, an increase of 6.6%, with avocados purchased by 79% of households.
Elsewhere, purchases of prepared fruit also increased, the data showed, with volumes rising by 22.9%. The average price was €8.96 per kilogram, while the volume purchased increased by approximately 9,000 tonnes.
According to Worldpanel by Numerator, fruit accounted for 48% of total fruit and vegetable volumes but represented 53% of spending. French households spent €8.5 billion on fruit, compared with €7.4 billion on vegetables.
The findings are based on Worldpanel by Numerator household purchasing data, covering the 52 weeks ending on 6 September 2026. Read more here.
