Regional sales patterns varied by category. Sales indices for Canned Peaches ranged from 160 to 71. Most strong markets were in the Central region while the weak markets were geographically dispersed. If consumption in the 12 weakest markets could be increased 50 percent, national canned peach sales would grow by 15 percent. Many food categories have even wider ranges in their sales development indices.
Many factors contribute to regional sales variations.
An example is the popularity of apple products varies by form. Residents of the Northeast bought the most Canned Applesauce while those in the South bought the least. Differences in when and how the products are consumed along with demographics, tastes, and traditions may explain some regionality and suggest strategies for increasing sales. Failure to account for these differences could limit the effectiveness of marketing programs. For some products with multiple forms, the popularity of the forms is inversely related across markets.