Overall, it has been a strong past 52 weeks for cheese, especially when looking at the natural cheese category. There were some pockets of weakness however, mainly the processed cheese and grated cheese subcategories, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana’s data for the 52 weeks ending Jan. 26.

Let’s start with the natural cheese category, which counts natural cheese-shredded, natural cheese-chunks, natural cheese-slices, natural cheese-string/stick, natural cheese crumbled, natural cheese-all other forms, ricotta cheese, natural cheese-cube and refrigerated grated cheese as subcategories. Impressively, all of these subcategories had year-over-year (YoY) dollar-sales improvements compared to the prior 52-week period, with the exceptions of ricotta cheese and natural cheese-cube. Yet, both of those subcategories only suffered small losses of less than 1%, respectively.

The entire natural cheese category saw dollar sales rise by 3% YoY to $20.6 billion, while unit sales enjoyed the same YoY percentage increase to 5.1 billion. Looking at specific subcategories, we’ll kick it off with natural cheese-shredded, whose YoY dollar sales picked up a 1% gain to $7.4 billion, matched by the same YoY percentage gain in unit sales to 1.98 billion. Leading the way in the natural cheese-shredded subcategory is private label, whose dollar sales picked up 0.4% YoY to $5.2 billion, along with a 1% unit sales rise to 1.4 billion, Circana data reports. A big standout in this subcategory was No. 6 seller V&V Supremo Foods. The Chicago-based company’s dollar sales rose 42% YoY to $91 million, bested by a 51% unit sales increase to just shy of 10 million.

The natural cheese-chunks subcategory also had a strong year, Dollar sales gained 7% to $5.78 billion, while unit sales jumped 8% YoY to 1.26 billion. The top seller here is once again private label, gaining 8% YoY to $2.1 billion in dollar sales, bested by a 10% unit sales rise to 601 million. No. 2 seller, Tillamook County Creamery Association, also had a solid year, with dollar sales picking up 11% YoY to $399 million, pairing well with a 13% jump in unit sales to 57 million.

Natural cheese-slice dollar sales eked out a small 0.5% YoY gain to $3.7 billion, but unit sales came in at just over $1 billion, good for a 4% improvement, Circana data reveals. Once again, private label took the top spot in this subcategory, with dollar sales rising 4% YoY to $1.9 billion and unit sales pocking up a slid 7% YoY to 640 million. A star in this subcategory was Cabot Creamery. The Vermont-based division of Agri-Mark enjoyed a 19% YoY dollar sales increase to just shy of $60 million, along with a 16% YoY unit sales jump to 16 million.

Next up is natural cheese-string/stick, whose dollar sales improved by 2% YoY to $1.8 billion, but unit sales suffered a small loss of 1% to 391 million. Private label, again, assumed  the top spot in this subcategory. It outpaced many competitors, evidenced by its 5% YoY dollar sales increase to $626 million, with unit sales gaining the YoY percentage gain to 151 million. Enjoying a strong year in this subcategory was Lactalis American Group, the No. 4 seller. The Buffalo, N.Y.-based company saw dollar sales and unit sales both jump 15% YoY to $119 million and 18.5 million, respectively.

Natural cheese-crumbled’s overall dollar sales rose 2% to $636 million, with unit sales increasing a similar 1% to 133.4 million. For the first time, private label was not the leading seller in this subcategory. Instead, this honor goes to Seymour, Wis.-based Emmi Roth USA Inc., whose dollar sales popped by 3% YoY to $165 million, as well as a 0.3% unit sales gain to 30.3 million. No. 5 seller, Monroe, Wis.-based La Morenita Food Products, had a strong year in this subcategory, enjoying a 15% YoY dollar sales rise to $43 million and a 13% unit sales rise to 5.5 million, according to Circana.

Next up is natural cheese-all other forms, which sported a robust 8% YoY jump to $546 million and a 5% unit sales gain to $106 million, for the 52-week period ending Jan. 26. The No. 1 seller for that timeframe was Belgioioso Cheese. The Green Bay, Wis.-based company’s dollar sales and unit sales both gained 5% YoY to $198 million and 35 million, respectively. Although on a much smaller scale, Bel Brands USA has to be mentioned for its growth in the natural cheese-all other forms subcategory. The Chicago-based company’s dollar sales came in $15.2 million and unit sales reached 1.43 million. Each skyrocketed by more than 8 million percentage points YoY, states Circana.

When it comes to ricotta cheese, dollar sales dipped by 0.6% YoY to $321 million, along with unit sales declining by nearly 1% to 76.5 million. Private label is the leading seller in this subcategory, with its dollar sales bucking the overall trend by rising 3% YoY to $133.5 million and unit sales picking up 1% to 38 million. Another standout in this subcategory was Saputo Cheese USA Inc., whose dollar sales and unit sales both increased by 11% YoY to $7.6 million and 1.4 million, respectively. 

Natural cheese-cubed also saw slight YoY declines, as dollar sales dipped by 0.3% to $222 million and unit sales came in at 60 million, a 1% YoY loss, Circana data shows. Private label was the leader in this category, with dollar sales rising 3% to $138.5 million, while unit sales increased by 1% to 42.5 million. Green Bay, Wis.-based BelGioioso Cheese was a superstar in this subcategory, as its dollar and unit sales both rose by 19% to $3.8 million and 767,254, respectively.

The final subcategory under natural cheese is refrigerated grated cheese, which had a fantastic 52-week period. Dollar sales skyrocketed by 14% YoY to $203.5 million, pairing nicely with an 11% unit sales jump to 38.6 million. Many of the top 10 sellers in this subcategory enjoyed strong double-digit YoY gains, including No. 2 seller BelGioioso Cheese (dollar sales up 23% YoY to $43.5 million and unit sales up 26% YoY to 9 million); No. 4 seller, Darlington, Wis.-based Mexican Cheese Producers (dollar sales up 32% to $16 and unit sales up 29% to 2.8 million); and No. 6 seller, Sarasota, Fla.-based Boar’s Head Provision Co. (dollar sales up 35% to $6.2 million and unit sales up 33% to 826,431).

Processed cheese category

Moving on to the processed cheese category, overall, dollar sales lost 2% YoY to $3.6 billion and unit sales dropped 1% to 745 million. Under processed/imitation cheese slices, the subcategory dipped by 2% YoY to $2 billion, while unit sales declined by 1% to $461 million. While Chicago-based Kraft Heinz Co. was the No. 1 seller in this subcategory, its dollar sales and unit sales both dropped by 2% YoY to $1.23 billion and 227 million, respectively. One dairy processor among the top 10 achieved both double-digit YoY dollar and unit sales improvement. This honor is bestowed upon Amsterdam, Netherlands-based Flora Food Group, whose dollar sales jumped by 14% YoY to $20.4 million, while unit sales rose 16% to 4 million, Circana data reveals. 

Next under the processed cheese category is cheese balls-spreads, whose overall dollar sales improved by 3% YoY to $682 million, while unit sales picked up 2% to 132 million. The No. 1 seller in this subcategory for the period ending Jan. 26 was Bel Brands USA, picking up 8% in dollar sales to $355 million, along with a 6% unit sales rise to 68 million. A star in this subcategory is No. 2 seller Chairmans Foods. The Nashville based company’s dollar sales and unit sales both jumped 14% to $70 million and 11.4 million, respectively.

The processed/imitation cheese/loaf subcategory had a rough year, with dollar and unit sales dipping 4% YoY to $386 million and 49 million, respectively. Kraft Heinz was the No. 1 seller in this subcategory for the 52 weeks ending Jan. 26. Its dollar sales dropped by 4% YoY to $370.5 million, as well as a 3% unit sales drop to 46.6 million. Placing second in this smaller subcategory was private label, which suffered a 12% YoY dollar sales loss to $14.3 million and a 16% unit sales loss to 2.4 million, per Circana data.

Under processed/imitation cheese-all other, the subcategory dipped by 2% to $271 million, as well as the same unit sales percentage loss to 49 million. Kraft Heinz was again the leader in this subcategory, as its dollar sales and unit sales both saw the exact same 0.5% decline to $136 million and 24 million, respectively. A standout here was No. 5 seller Earth Island. The Chatsworth, Calif.-based company’s dollar sales increased by 15% to $7.7 million, with unit sales rising by 12% to 1.38 million.

Processed/imitation cheese-shredded suffered a down year, as dollar sales plummeted by 8% YoY to $111 million, with unit sales dropping by the same percentage to 27 million. Flora Food Group was the No. 1 seller for the period ending Jan. 26. The company had a strong year in this subcategory, as its dollar sales rose by 8% YoY to $31.5 million, bested by unit sales, which jumped 12% YoY to 6.2 million, Circana data reveals.

Lastly, under the processed cheese category is aerosol/squeezable cheese spreads. This subcategory had a difficult year, as dollar sales dropped by 7% YoY to $109 million, while unit sales dropped by 6% YoY to 26 million. Mondelēz International led the way in this subcategory, but its dollar sales declined by 8% YoY to $71 million. The Chicago-based company’s unit sales also dropped to the tune of 9% YoY to 13 million.

Within the shelf-stable grated cheese category, dollar sales suffered a small YoY dollar sales loss of 2% to $671 million, while unit sales dipped by 1% to 154 million. Private label topped the list in this category, picking up 1% YoY to $304 million, while its unit sales gained 2% to nearly 88 million. A standout in this category was No. 8 seller Sargento Food Co. The Plymouth, Wis.-based company’s dollar sales gained 70% YoY to just shy of $3 million, which was matched by a 72% YoY unit sales rise to 623,492, Circana data states.