Thanks to Instacart for it’s latest sales/orders analysis – this time focusing on the apparently un-stoppable Pickle-everything craze. One thing is for sure: Americans are either with the Pickle fad or against it…
We’ve been having a bit of fun with the high-profile pickle fad-not-quite-trend since it surfaced a few months back. But, Instacart – through which (apparently) a lot of folks order their snacking spears – has been keeping track of its sales figures. And the picture they paint is one of a deeply and clearly divided America…
Clear regional preferences
Rarely have I seen such clear lines drawn on a food-preference map…
Vlasic, Grillo’s and Mt. Olive – all top-tier, top selling premium brands
that advertise a lot – dominate their respective US regions…
Vlasic and Grillo’s, in particular, keep coming up on maps and lists of premium pickle brands that dominate the US market in general.
In a parallel universe, other Famous Dave’s, OH, SNAP!, Yee-Haw and Three Little Pigs make up a varied, quirky second tier of boutique/premium brands that are moving up, and already own their own substantial fan bases.
Who’s in on it?
The Instacart map of who’s in on the Big Pickle Crusade is as clear as the brand preference map – and not all that different in it’s regional breakdown….
Take another quick glance at the brand-preference map (closer to top of page). Now take a good look at the regional map showing who’s buying Pickles, and who’s not…
I was shocked that Californians – who usually lead the parade when a quirky new fad or trend comes along – are barely on the map when it comes to pickles. The explanation could be as simple as Californians – along with Floridians and Hawaiians – have historically been more focused on fresh produce.
On the other hand, get a load of the lesser but stable demand for Pickles across the great Middle American arc from the Rockies to the Appalachians!
And behold the staunch Pickle ‘Homeland’ with its firm grip on the MidWest, Great Plains and Deep South…
Altogether, it’s a fascinating graphic representation of where America’s pickles came from – and the great waves of European immigration that brought them…
My take
I had an interesting debate (more than a conversation, less than an all-out brawl) recently, about whether the classic fermented pickle’s charms and benefits are outweighed by it’s obvious potential drawbacks as an ultra-processed food. Seems a majority of fans say it’s obvious to them that the pros completely swamp the cons.
All in all… I was glad to learn there’s a positive, more-or-less unified view of pickles across North America. But what I still neither understand nor ‘appreciate’ (I guess) is how Pickles, with their unique sweet/sour/spicy flavour profile, became the focus of the latest snacking craze to sweep the continent.
Must be the built-in human craving for salt…
~ Maggie J.