More cheese, please… In several cases, consumers are buying more. Natural cheese sales total $17.5B, with natural cheese chunks and shredded dominating the market with dollar and unit sales gains.
The past year saw reduced demand for cheese on the foodservice side, thanks to widespread pandemic-related restaurant closures and indoor dining bans. However, the picture was much brighter on the retail cheese side.
It has been a very, very good year for cheese, at least within the major retail channels.
Dollar sales within the natural cheese category shot up 17.0% to $15,449.5 million during the 52 weeks ending Oct. 4, 2020, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.
Americans' love affair with cheese is defying gravity. According to Chicago-based market research firm IRI, over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, natural cheese retail sales were swinging high through the air.
For decades, the story surrounding the cheese segment has been one of very strong growth, both at retail and foodservice. The category's versatility and abundance of varieties have worked in its favor, even as other dairy categories have weathered ups and downs.