While unit sales decreased 3% in the yogurt category, dollar sales were up almost 9% to $4.7 billion and the average price per unit increased 13 cents, for the 52 weeks ended March 18. According to Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group, No. 3 Agro Farma Inc., New Berlin, N.Y., the maker of Chobani Greek yogurt, posted the largest gains. Dollar sales were up 128% to $704 million and unit sales rose 132%.
Both No. 8 Hain Celestial Group and No. 6 Fage USA Dairy Industry saw significant double-digit increases. Melville, N.Y.-based Hain Celestial had a 58% increase in dollar sales and a 39% increase in unit sales. Dollar sales for Johnstown, N.Y.-based Fage rose 34% and unit sales were up 50%.
The top two brands (accounting for almost half of the dollar sales for the entire category) didn’t fare as well. Dollar sales slipped 8% for No. 1 Yoplait to $1.3 billion and unit sales were down 20%. Yoplait is owned by Minneapolis-based General Mills. No. 2 Dannon, White Plains, N.Y., had a 0.7% increase in dollar sales to $1.2 billion, unit sales were down 8%.
Cottage cheese
Unit sales slipped 4% in the cottage cheese category but dollar sales were up 2% to $867 million. The average price per unit increased 17 cents. No. 4 Daisy Brand, Dallas, posted strong gains: dollar sales were up 41% to $36 million; unit sales increased 38%. Private-label brands, the No. 1 spot, had a dollar sales increase of 6% to $357 million but unit sales slipped 3%. No. 5 Friendship, N.Y.-based Friendship Dairies (a Dean Foods unit) saw the largest decrease: down 12% in dollar sales and 21% in unit sales.
Sour cream
The average price per unit for sour cream also increased by 17 cents. Overall, the category was up in dollar sales (8% to $840 million) but down 2% in unit sales. The top two spots—Daisy Brand and private label—both had double-digit dollar sales increases. Daisy was up 12% to $284 million while private label brands were up 14% to $268 million.
