Sales Data

2025 State of the Dairy Industry

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500

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.

2024 State of the Dairy Industry

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Dairy Foods reports on how the dairy industry in faring in our eight State of the Industry categories: milk, ice cream and frozen novelties, cheese, yogurt and cultured dairy, butter, nondairy beverages, ingredients and exports.

Vegan diets accelerate demand for dairy alternatives, but plant-based milks sales down 5.4%.

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In the 1967 musical “Doctor Doolittle,” Rex Harrison in the title role sings about being a “reluctant but sincere vegetarian,” as he hears piglet Gub-Gub’s squeals as sausage and bacon sizzle over an open flame.

Coconut milk and kefir buck overall dairy alternative trend

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:00:00 -0400

Sales in several dairy alternative subcategories soured for the 52-week period ending June 16, according to new data provided by Chicago-based market research firm Circana.

Refrigerated butters and coffee creamers see strength

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Although some may not consider its sales gains gangbusters, the butter and creamer dairy subcategories are led by refrigerated butters and refrigerated coffee creamers, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana.

RTD beverage category offers big opportunities

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Milk, tea, coffee, aseptic juices, and bottled juices, major components of the ready-to-drink (RTD) dairy beverage market, are seeing great growth. In fact, the global RTD beverages market is projected to grow from $766.69 billion in 2024 to more than $1 trillion by 2032.

TikTok drives astronomical sales for cottage cheese

Fri, 03 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It’s the age of cottage cheese. At first glance, it may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not. TikTok has sent cottage cheese sales to the moon with sales of $1.33B. While private-label is still No. 1, brands like Daisy and Breakstone's are doing well.

The 2023 Dairy 100: DFA takes top Dairy 100 spot

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:00:00 -0400

It placed third in the 2021 Dairy 100. It placed second in the 2022 Dairy 100. This year it is No. 1. Other companies saw major growth. Moving 33 spaces, Valley Queen Cheese Factory Inc., Milbank., S.D., No. 87 in 2021 net revenue, moved to No. 54 with a 2022 net revenue of $600 million.

Consumers making adjustments as food prices rise

Thu, 18 May 2023 09:49:38 -0400

To manage their food spending, U.S. consumers are finding ways to manage higher food costs by shopping at value retailers, spending less on non-food purchases, switching to store brands, and canceling committed expenses, like subscriptions, reports Circana.

Ready-to-drink coffee and tea sales percolate

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0400

Refrigerated ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea were red hot, with percolating sales of nearly $949 million and $1.44 billion, respectively, in multi-outlets for the 52 weeks ending July 10, IRI data states. Percentage-wise, coffee saw a 27% sales increase, while tea added year-over-year sales of 11%.

The “Global Insights” column: You still gotta eat

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0400

If recession is looming/already here, how will headwinds impact the dairy industry?

The 2022 Dairy 100: Some changes in the air

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 19:00:00 -0400

Unlike previous years, this year’s Dairy 100 rankings reflects changes in the market — with some new companies joining the list and others experiencing major growth or declines.

2021 State of the Industry: a divided highway for ice cream and frozen novelties

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 11:00:00 -0400

Sales within the retail ice cream and frozen novelties segments have been traveling in two different directions of late.

The retail RTD coffee category is piping hot

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

If sales data are any indication, more consumers are saying goodbye to coffee filters, tea bags and the long wait to brew. According to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI, dollar sales within the shelf-stable ready-to-drink (RTD) tea and coffee category shot up 9.5% during the 52 weeks ending Aug. 8, 2021, to $7,647.5 million. Unit sales increased 3.0% to 3,044.1 million.

Dairy imports surge in Chinese market

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 10:00:00 -0400

Over the past six months, most discussions around global dairy trade have centered on incredibly strong Chinese imports and freight costs and delays.

A growth slowdown for retail refrigerated milk

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 10:00:00 -0400

When we last reported on sales within the U.S. refrigerated retail milk category back in our February issue, the situation was quite rosy. Dollar sales had risen significantly during the 52-week reporting period, and unit sales growth was solid, too.

Cold treats see a slight cool-off

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 08:48:00 -0400

When we last covered sales within the retail ice cream/sherbet category (in our January 2021 issue), the segment was enjoying double-digit growth in both dollars and units. Eight months later — with stay-at-home dictates over and many consumers no longer indulging in as many comfort foods — retail ice cream/sherbet sales are not soaring quite as high.

Rising feed prices will affect US dairy prices

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 10:21:43 -0400

The Chicago Mercantile corn contract traded over $7.00 the first week of May, which is the first time we’ve seen that since 2013. Dairy futures, and maybe even spot prices, have been pulled higher by the increasing feed prices.

Jolly times for refrigerated juices

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Thu, 20 May 2021 09:43:00 -0400

For the second year in a row, Dairy Foods has good news to share about the retail juice category, a segment that had been experiencing a multi-year decline. According to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI, two of the four juice categories actually posted impressive dollar and unit sales increases during the 52 weeks ending March 21, 2021.

Market disruptions no match for TikTok feta pasta

Mon, 03 May 2021 11:38:00 -0400

If a worldwide pandemic wasn't enough to convince you that dairy marketing has entered a new era, then consider what TikTok can do to your plans.

It’s cultured dairy’s time to shine

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:07:00 -0400

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers ate at home more often during the past year — and many of them baked and cooked up a storm, too. That reality translated into rosy sales at retail for a number of cultured dairy categories.

Cultured dairy category is on-trend and growing

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 12:38:00 -0400

Cultured dairy products, dairy products fermented with lactic acid bacteria, have been around for absolutely ages. The COVID-19 pandemic and a bit of innovation on the part of dairy processors, however, have combined to build consumer demand in a number of cultured dairy segments during the past year or so.

‘Gouda’ news for retail cheese

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 12:58:00 -0400

The past year saw reduced demand for cheese on the foodservice side, thanks to widespread pandemic-related restaurant closures and indoor dining bans. However, the picture was much brighter on the retail cheese side.

Keep the ice cream category growing

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 11:35:00 -0500

Ice cream and frozen novelties shows no signs of cooling down. At retail, sales of the comfort food staples soared during early pandemic purchase sprees, and that trend has sustained over the past year.

Higher feed costs will ripple through dairy markets

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 09:54:00 -0500

With all 10,000 of our lakes here in Minnesota currently frozen solid, this may be a strange analogy, but dairy prices move like the waves rippling out from a rock thrown in the water.

Hot times for frozen novelties

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 10:13:00 -0500

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has many consumers reaching for small indulgences to brighten their days. That reality has been a boon to the frozen novelties category, which Chicago-based market research firm IRI breaks into three subcategories: frozen novelties, ice cream/ice milk desserts and ice pop novelties.

A big comeback for refrigerated milk at retail

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0500

Up until only recently, milk sales in U.S. retail outlets had been on a decades-long decline. As the coronavirus forced many consumers to work, study and/or eat at home, however, retail milk sales benefited.

Retail ice cream sales heat up

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 11:34:00 -0500

Many consumers have been turning to their favorite comfort foods to help combat stress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And one of those favorites certainly appears to be ice cream.

Cheese sales explode in retail channels

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 14:43:00 -0500

It has been a very, very good year for cheese, at least within the major retail channels. Dollar sales within the natural cheese category shot up 17.0% to $15,449.5 million during the 52 weeks ending Oct. 4, 2020, according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.

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

canningk@bnpmedia.com (Kathie Canning) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:00:00 -0500

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.