It used to be that cultured products were used as components of something larger - cottage cheese for casseroles, sour cream as a condiment or dips for, you guessed it, dipping. Even yogurt adds a creamy value-added touch to pastries and sweet goods.
Good thing many of today’s consumers are in search of added value. That’s why the cultured category is making a comeback.
Yogurt leads the way
According to Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group, yogurt sales rose 8.6%, for the 52 weeks ended March 20. Chobani, produced by AgroFarma, New Berlin, N.Y., rose the most of any Top 10 brand - sales skyrocketed 223.7%, dollar share increased 4.7% and unit sales were up 212%, all thanks to its lineup of non-fat and low-fat Greek yogurt, and its newly introduced item, Chobani Champions, for children. Chobani is the fourth best-selling brand, according to SymphonyIRI.
Johnstown, N.Y.-based Fage Total Greek yogurt, in seventh place, clocked in a 66.7% increase in dollar sales and an 86% increase in unit sales.
Meanwhile, No. 1 Yoplait Light and No. 3 Original brands experienced an uptick in sales, with 7.8% and 0.8% respectively. Produced by General Mills, Minneapolis, sister brand Yoplait Go Gurt jumped 12% in sales, SymphonyIRI data says, due in part to its freeze-to-thaw Go Gurt selection.
Sales of cream cheese collide
Sales figures for the cream cheese segment outline some roller-coaster results, say SymphonyIRI data. In the brick cream cheese category, Weight Watchers International, Jericho, N.Y., garnered a 1,685.4% hike in dollar sales for its selection of point-valued offerings, followed by Yoder’s, developed by I&K Distributors, Delphos, Ohio, and Raskas, made by Schreiber Foods, Green Bay, Wis., at 72.5% and 51.1%, respectively.
In SymphonyIRI’s “all other forms” category, noteworthy mentions include Mimosa (a 123.2% increase in sales); Kaukauna Connoisseur (up 110.1%), produced by Bel Brands USA, Elk Grove Village, Ill.; and Dairy Fresh whipped (up 92.2%), made by Dairy Fresh Corp., Greensboro, Ala.
On the other hand, sales of some brands fell. For example, WisPride cream cheese balls (by Bel Brands USA) experienced an 85.2% decline in sales, while Smithfield all other forms, owned by C-USA/Alouette Foodservice, Hanover, Md., dipped 66.8%.
Other brands displaying a drop in sales include Moondarra balls (-52.4%) from Moondarra Cheese in Australia; Clawson all other forms (-51.4%), made by England-based Long Clawson Dairy Ltd.; Einstein Bros. whipped (-37%), sold by Boston-based Einstein Bros. Bagels; and J&J whipped (-20.3%) from J&J Snack Foods Corp., Pennsauken, N.J.
Cottage cheese category displays curdling results
It used to be that cottage cheese came in one flavor - Original. Nowadays, consumers can spice up just about any meal with, for example, cucumber dill-flavored cottage cheese.
However, the category as a whole has experienced some more flavorful days.
Dallas-based Daisy brand cottage cheese underwent the highest sales jump in the category, with a 15.2% hike. Private label followed with a 3% increase in sales (however, it took the No. 1 spot with $337.1 million in sales).
Despite its triple-churned creamy cottage cheese options, Breakstone’s Cottage Doubles, produced by Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., experienced a 12.9% decline in sales, while sales for Breakstone’s dipped 2.1%. Prairie Farms Dairy, Carlinville, Ill., underwent a 10.4% drop in sales.
Sour cream sales go a bit sour
Sales of sour cream increased 2.8%, though unit sales dropped 0.6%.
Sales of No. 1 Daisy rose 11.1% and No. 9 Hood, processed by HP Hood, Lynnfield, Mass., rose 23.5%. No. 10 Kemps, produced in St. Paul, Minn., showed a 10.2% increase in sales.
Sales soured for No. 5 Friendship Dairies, Friendship, N.Y., (down 16.5%), while No. 3 Breakstone’s displayed a 10.3% drop and No. 7 Knudsen (like Breakstone’s, developed by Kraft) dropped 9.3%.
