The U.S. shell egg market accounted for approximately 9 billion in retail sales in 2023, according to SPINS data. 

SPINS is a company that provides data to brand manufacturers and retailers. It collects information from international organic and natural food retailers, aggregates the data and sells it to brands that want to learn what works and what doesn’t from a product sales perspective.

Between December 2020 and December 2023, the U.S. shell egg market recorded a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.3 percent. 

Shell Egg Market

Vital Farms highlights a shift in consumer awareness. Today, many are more aware of the negative effects that processed foods can have on health, the environment and agriculture. This shift has driven greater demand for ethically produced foods. Consumers are increasingly looking for options that meet these ethical standards and move away from factory farming.

In 2023, approximately 70% of table eggs produced in the United States were sold as shell eggs. 

According to the Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), of this percentage, 57% was sold in home food outlets, such as supermarkets and convenience stores. In addition, 11% was distributed in food channels outside the home, such as restaurants, and only 2% was exported.

Specialty products

On the other hand, the USDA estimated that about 30% of the eggs produced in the country were marketed as egg products. These include shell eggs broken and transformed into liquid, frozen or dried products, sold mainly to institutions, such as companies producing baked goods.

SPINS data show that the U.S. pasture-raised egg retail market accounted for approximately $531.0 million in retail sales in 2023 and grew at a CAGR of 26.6% between December 2020 and December 2023, while the specialty egg market (including pasture-raised, free-range and cage-free) accounted for approximately $1.8 billion in retail sales in 2023 and grew at a CAGR of 11.2% between December 2020 and December 2023.