Sales Data

RSS

Don't get distracted by the headlines in 2018. The renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement will demand a lot of attention, but assuming neither of them is wiped off the board completely, growing milk supplies in the other major exporting countries will create the headwind for U.S. exports.

Competing in the frozen dessert market can be tough, even more so during a time when so many consumers are paying close attention to labels and their food choices. Consumers are cutting back on desserts, choosing healthier options or reaching for ice cream when they want to indulge.

As noted in the nondairy beverage article in our May issue, consumers are seeking functional and no-sugar-added options for beverages — and some juice segments are taking a hit in sales because of it. Sales are down in orange, apple and juice/drink smoothies segments, but ticking up in refrigerated lemonade, fruit drinks and vegetable juice blends.

As consumers demand more better-for-you products, experts note that the juice and juice drinks category has been challenged in a unique way and struggled to maintain its share of the beverage market.

Consumers are guzzling the drinkable cultured dairy options — sales for refrigerated kefir products and shelf-stable yogurt drinks are on the rise. Sales for sour cream are also up. Meanwhile, sales for regular yogurt and cream cheese have dropped.

Sales indicate that consumers continue to prefer natural over processed cheese, with slices, shreds and cubes sales getting a boost. In the processed cheese category, cheese spreads/balls was the only segment with positive sales numbers.

Whether it’s an electrolyte-packed sports drink or a dose of caffeine from an energy drink, consumers really like their energy-boosting beverages. Sales for both sports drinks and energy drinks are jumping.