State of the industry - Articles - Page 6

State of the Industry 2020: Excitement builds for dairy under the big top

November 30, 2020

Bolstered by significant recent dollar sales growth, most dairy categories are celebrating on the circus bandwagon. They also are embracing challenges and opportunities in preparation for their next act.

2020 State of the Industry: It’s a juggling act for cultured dairy

Cultured dairy categories have been keeping multiple trends in motion, with varying results.

Kathie Canning

November 12, 2020

The cultured dairy segment has been tossing multiple balls in the air in an effort to meet numerous, and sometimes seemingly conflicting, consumers trends. This balancing act has been delivering mixed results for the categories within the segment.

2020 State of the Industry: Butter is taming the plant-based competition

The roar of plant-based butter alternatives is loud, but butter’s crack of the whip is keeping that threat in check.

Kathie Canning

November 10, 2020

The last year or so might have found some players in the retail butter and butter blends category exclaiming, "It's a jungle out there!" Why? Because certain players in the margarine and spreads subcategory used innovation and questionable marketing (Country Crock "plant butter" - seriously?) to lure consumers and intimidate genuine butter brands.

2020 State of the Industry: Abracadabra! — Milk sales take off

It’s no illusion. The coronavirus pandemic and product innovation are bringing consumers back to the category.

Kathie Canning

November 6, 2020

After seeing declines year after year, the milk category (at least at retail) now seems to be pulling rabbits out of a hat. Dollar sales in the overall category rose 7.8% to $16,330.1 million during the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.

2020 State of the industry: US dairy exports walk a tightrope

With the pandemic-related recession, exporters will need to balance oversupply concerns.

Nate Donnay

November 4, 2020

With so many pandemic related variables, it's been a balancing act for U.S. dairy exports. At this point, anything is possible.

2020 State of the Industry: Ingredients for dairy products take innovation to new heights

Dairy is flying high with the ingredient trapeze act of 2020.

Kimberly Decker

November 2, 2020

Formulating successful dairy products can feel like a trapeze act even in the best of times. And 2020 was hardly the best of times.

2020 State of the Industry: Nondairy beverages put on a happy face

On-trend product development is helping key segments avoid a sad-clown frown.

November 2, 2020

Nondairy beverages mainly painted on smiles this year. Ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee was the master of ceremonies at retail, shining in both the shelf-stable cappuccino/iced coffee and refrigerated coffee segments.

2020 State of the Industry: Cheese is flying high

But the category also has had to contort around high retail demand and extreme losses in foodservice/commodity sales.

Anna Boisseau

October 29, 2020

Americans' love affair with cheese is defying gravity. According to Chicago-based market research firm IRI, over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, natural cheese retail sales were swinging high through the air.

2020 State of the Industry: Ice cream is a category on fire

The COVID-19 pandemic created a hot spot for ice cream/frozen novelty purchases.

Anna Boisseau

October 26, 2020

Retail ice cream sales might not have being eating fire this year, but they certainly have been on fire. Over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, dollar sales in the ice cream subcategory of the larger ice cream/sherbet category were up 13.4% (to $6,841.8 million).

Top dairy association execs weigh in on state of the dairy industry

There’s cause for both concern and optimism, they suggest.

Kathie Canning

October 23, 2020

The dairy industry has been facing a variety of challenges this year, most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic. Dairy Foods asked the top executives of leading dairy associations to discuss the industry's more significant issues, as well as its greatest opportunities.