There are few surprises in a bag of mandarins. That is part of the appeal.
Citrus is familiar and easy to consume. It already has a place in lunchboxes and kitchens. The commercial question is how to give shoppers more reasons to buy it.
Suppliers see two routes: products that remove small inconveniences, and better presentation in stores.
“Many shoppers are gravitating toward foods they know and trust,” says Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing at Valencia, California-based Sunkist Growers Inc. “Citrus has been part of family routines and household tables for generations.”
That history gives citrus an advantage over products that require explanation. But familiarity can also make the category easy to overlook. A shopper may know what an orange is, but not why one variety costs more than another or how a Cara Cara differs from a standard navel.
The category remains substantial. Howard, citing Circana data, says citrus accounted for about 10% of U.S. produce volume sold at retail during the 2026 season. Easy-peel mandarins represented 37% of citrus volume, followed by oranges at 30%. Lemons accounted for 13%.
Howard says citrus also benefits from its longstanding association with everyday wellness. Its links with vitamin C and hydration are widely understood, while the fruit remains familiar enough to fit naturally into routine purchases. That allows retailers to communicate health benefits without presenting citrus as a specialist product.
Mandarins have benefited from their fit with modern snacking habits. They are naturally portioned and require little preparation. Packaging has made them even easier to carry, store and recognize.
Zak Laffite, president of Delano, California-based Wonderful Citrus, says shoppers have become less forgiving when the product falls short.
“Consistency has also become more important than ever,” he says. “Shoppers expect the same great eating experience every time they purchase citrus, regardless of where or when they shop.”
That demand for consistency helps explain the greater role of brands in a category traditionally sold as loose fruit. A bag gives suppliers space to communicate sweetness, origin or intended use. “Trusted brands have a clear advantage in eCommerce, where shoppers rely heavily on brand recognition and product imagery,” says Laffite.
Convenience alone, however, is not a sufficient point of difference. A mandarin that peels cleanly but disappoints on flavor is unlikely to earn a repeat purchase.
The same applies to lemons. Wonderful Citrus sees growth in removing one of the product’s minor irritations: seeds.
“One of the biggest growth opportunities is in products that solve everyday consumer needs through convenience and innovation,” notes Laffite.
Laffite goes on to say consumption of its seedless lemons increased by more than 40% over the past year. The product is now in its second year of year-round availability. Its appeal is straightforward: it does the same job as a conventional lemon with less fuss.
He adds that, according to Wonderful, the company’s seedless lemons have driven nearly all growth in the bagged lemon segment over the past three years. The figure is company-provided, but it indicates how a relatively small functional change can give shoppers a clear reason to choose one product over another.
Specialty citrus asks more from the shopper. Varieties such as blood oranges, Pixie tangerines and Minneola tangelos can offer a distinct eating experience, but their differences are not always obvious from several feet away.
That puts more responsibility on retailers.
Howard says in-store activity remains the leading source of citrus awareness, according to research commissioned by Sunkist and conducted by Forward Insight & Strategy.
“Strong displays, seasonal packaging, signage and promotional programs help bring the category to life, communicate value and inspire purchase,” she says.
She also sees an opening for grower-focused merchandising, as shoppers show more interest in where their food comes from.
For Sunkist, that includes telling the story of the multigenerational farming families behind the cooperative. Provenance may help strengthen trust, but the message at the shelf still needs to be immediate: what the fruit tastes like and why it is worth choosing.
Often, a short flavor description or serving suggestion is enough. Recipes can broaden the role of lemons beyond cooking, while seasonal displays can make oranges seem less routine.
Wonderful Citrus says large Halos displays have generated sales velocities 23% higher than products sold without a display. It also places lemon displays outside produce, including near seafood and beverage departments, where the product’s use is immediately apparent.
Used well, secondary placement makes the product’s role immediately clear. A lemon beside fish communicates its use more quickly than a paragraph of nutritional information.
For California growers, the retail opportunity comes against a less comfortable production backdrop.
Julia Inestroza, a citrus grower and chair of the California Citrus Mutual board, remains confident in the state’s market position. “The California citrus industry is in a strong position to continue supplying the nation and the world with high-quality, great-tasting citrus,” she says. Yet growers are carrying higher regulatory costs while facing imports produced under different standards.
“California citrus growers face ever-increasing state and federal regulations while competing with imports that aren’t held to the same standard,” she says. “We also have lasting negative trade effects from tariff challenges.”
Those pressures are easy to lose in a category discussion dominated by packaging and displays. Retailers may want more choice and longer seasons, but growers must still manage labor, compliance costs and trade disruption.
Inestroza’s preferred response is direct. “The biggest opportunity for California citrus is to continue to grow the best-tasting citrus available in the world,” she says.
Her answer is blunt, but it cuts through the category talk. Displays can attract attention, and packaging can make citrus easier to buy. Neither can compensate for indifferent fruit. The category’s strongest growth prospects still begin with a good eating experience, followed by a clear reason to come back.