The sour cream category barely moved, with dollar sales up 4.5% to $1.1 million and unit sales up 0.08% to 596.3 million. Sales of cottage cheese increased 1.1% to $1.1 billion, but units dropped 5.1% to 403 million. Meanwhile, the refrigerated dips category dollar sales rose 8.7% to $770 million and units were up 3.8% to 268.5 million. The refrigerated dips category includes both dairy and nondairy dip brands lines.

Cultured dairy consists of these categories:

• Yogurt ($7.3 billion; units down 0.3%)
• Cream cheese/Cream cheese spread ($1.5 billion; units down 2.2%)
• Sour cream ($1.1 billion; units up 0.08%)
• Cottage cheese ($1.1 billion; units down 5.1%)
• Refrigerated dips ($770 million; units up 3.8%)
• The cream cheese category includes these segments:
• Brick ($732.2 million; units down 1.3%)
• Soft ($660.6 million; units down 3.6%)
• Whipped ($154.5 million; units up 2%)

The whipped cream cheese segment performed the best among the category, dollar sales improved 8% to $154.5 million, and units rose 2%. Among the top 10, several companies saw promising sales increases. Green Mountain Farms (Franklin Foods) saw dollar and unit sales jump 59.7% and 59.3%, respectively. Challenge’s dollar and unit sales skyrocketed 348.7% and 312.5%, respectively. J&J Dairy’s dollar sales increased 13.1% and unit sales rose 12.1%. Weight Watchers didn’t fare as well, dollar sales dropped 24.1% and units were down 27%.

In the brick cream cheese segment dollar sales increased 7.8% to $732.2 million, but units dropped 1.3% to 354.5 million. Kraft Philadelphia led the segment with $461.9 million and dollar sales were up 7.7%, but units dropped 3.2%. Crystal Farms also saw dollar sales go up and units drop, 2.2% and 8.6%, respectively.  Challenge outperformed the rest, with dollar and unit sales skyrocketing, 241.2% and 214.2%, respectively. Organic Valley’s dollars sales increased 17.9% and units were up 13.8%.

Sabra was the superstar among the top 10 in the refrigerated dips segment. The company’s dollar sales jumped 34.7% and unit sales increased 43.9%. Private label led the way in overall sales for the segment with $136.8 million; sales increased 5.9%, with units up 2.7%. Kraft and Heluva Good (H.P. Hood) both struggled, dollar sales dropped 2.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Units fell 2.8% and 4%, respectively. (See the table.)

Among the top 10 in the sour cream segment Daisy Brand led the segment with $499.3 million, dollar sales increased 8.7% and units rose 5.4%. Breakstone’s saw dollar sales drop 0.3% to $85.8 million, units down slightly as well, 0.3%. Kraft Simply struggled, dollar and unit sales decreased 15% and 11.3%, respectively. Dollar sales were up 9.6% for Hood (HP Hood), units also increased 10.3%.

 Private label dominated the cottage cheese segment with $437.1 million. Dollar and unit sales increased 7.2% and 2.1%, respectively. The majority of the other brands struggled. Breakstone’s dollar sales dropped 4.1% and units fell 7.6%. Breakstone’s Cottage Doubles’ sales and units also dropped 16.8% and 25.7%, respectively. Daisy’s dollar sales were up 2.8%, but units decreased 6%. Dean’s (Dean Foods) dollar sales slipped 20.4%, units fell 22.2%. Hiland (Hiland Dairy Foods) showed promise. Dollar and unit sales increased 22.3% and 7.9%, respectively.