CATEGORY MANAGEMENT | DAIRY
Ensuring that cases remain full and without out-of-stocks is crucial for maintaining shopper loyalty.
A healthy outlook for dairy merchandising Retailers can maintain sales momentum by highlighting products’ wellness attributes
BY RICHARD MITCHELL
HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS are having a powerful impact on retail dairy marketing. Products with such claims as “higher protein,” “low sugar,” “no sugar,” “no added sugar” and “lactose free” are registering strong growth, with selections that con- tain high and more fiber also increasing in popularity, said John Crawford, principal, client insights—dairy, for Circana, a Chi- cago-based market research firm. “Rather than dairy being on trend, the trends have come to dairy,” Crawford said. GLP-1 diets and the new inverted food pyramid are becoming more influential
sales triggers as well, he said. A GLP-1 diet complements the use of GLP-1 medica- tions that can help manage diabetes, treat heart disease and support weight loss, and involves proteins, healthy fats, fiber and whole foods while avoiding simple carbs, sugars and excessive saturated fats. Dairy unit sales rose 1.3% for the 52 weeks ending Feb. 22 versus the year-ear- lier period, Circana reported. The average unit price also increased 1.3% to $3.84. While unit sales for the three largest cate- gories—milk, natural cheese and eggs—were flat, yogurt sales grew 5.8% despite a 7.3% average price increase, while cottage cheese
sales rose 13.9% with a 4.7% price gain. “The rising macro trend of greater pro- tein consumption mixed with consumers’ exploration of new protein sources as a replacement for high-priced eggs is the perfect opportunity for categories like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese,” said Tim Strandlund, director of insights for fresh, pantry and naturals for NielsenIQ, a New York-based consumer intelligence firm. Fresh eggs had an average unit price of $5.35, a 1.3% increase, Circana reported. With Greek yogurt dollar sales up more than 18% over the last year, retailers will likely increase assortments, he said.
30 SUPERMARKETNEWS.COM SPRING 2026
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