Articles Tagged with ''milk sales''

Milk has been a basis of nutrition for centuries, but the modern fluid milk industry faces challenges in maintaining its heritage while adapting to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and sustainability issues. The future of milk presents both opportunities and challenges, as noted by Sonali Raghunath.

After a decades-long decline and fluctuating volume, consumers are saying “yes” and “loving” milk's nutritional value, sticking with “real” dairy as the most familiar option over perceived, heavily processed plant-based alternatives.

Welcome to the 2025 State of the Industry report. For this year’s theme, we tap into the music industry where the music scene meets the dynamic world of dairy and dairy alternatives.

Overall, dairy milk sales had a positive 52-week period ending Dec. 1, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana. The dairy milk category saw dollar sales rise by 2% year over year (YoY) to $17.1 billion, and eked out a 0.2% unit sales rise to 4.8 billion.

Milk has been a basis in nutrition for centuries, building generations with its rich array of nutrients. 

Circana reports that in U.S. multi-outlets and convenience stores for the 52 weeks ending Aug. 11, the overall milk category notched $19.6 billion in dollar sales at a slight 1.2% decrease over the prior year. In the “all other” refrigerated milk segment, however, it was near-perfect fall sunshine with 21.2% growth and $252 million in sales.

Retail milk sales have soured of late. Dollar sales within the refrigerated milk category fell 1.5% to $14,274.0 million during the 52 weeks ending Nov. 28, 2021, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI. Unit sales tumbled 4.6% to 4,736.1 million.

After years of riding in the slow lane, the retail milk category got a pandemic-related jump last year. But since COVID-19-related panic buying subsided and some normalcy returned in 2021, milk sales felt the gridlock once again.