Sales are on the move for yogurt drinks and kefir products
Consumers’ desire for convenient snacks and fast, high-quality protein is helping to shine the light on the benefits of drinkable yogurts and kefirs. As we reported in our cultured dairy outlook in the April issue, the popularity of yogurt beverages and on-the-go yogurt smoothies is increasing. It’s not just a drink for children anymore and the sales numbers show it. Alongside that, other cultured dairy categories (see cottage cheese and sour cream) are seeing some renewal, thanks to innovative products and flavors.
In the overall yogurt category, dollar sales increased 3% to $7.6 billion, and units were up 1.2% to 5.1 billion, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago, for the 52 weeks ended Feb. 21, 2016.