Dairy Products and Alternatives

Cheese consumption suffered a substantial decline in 2022 as the impact of economic instability, supply chain issues and high inflation affected both players and consumers. Additionally, growth inflated by the pandemic and home consumption resulted…

Although in general Spanish consumers reduced the frequency of their shopping trips in 2022, opting for a more planned purchases, there was no major drop in the consumption of cheese. Cheese is considered a staple in the Spanish diet and as such…

Cheese saw modest growth in retail volume terms in 2023, in contrast to the flat performance of the previous year. While inflationary pressures, driven by surging energy and food prices, receded slightly, demand was constrained by a loss of…

The price of cheese in Italy has risen considerably towards the end of the review period. Higher pricing has been affected by several factors. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic crisis, its aftermath, and the outbreak of war in Ukraine have had…

Across the review period, innovation was strong on the cheese category. Until recently, Greek law mandated the pasteurisation of milk for health reasons. However, a new legislation framework across the review period allowed cheese production from raw…

Inflation has had a noticeable impact on demand for cheese in Germany, prompting consumers to substitute higher-priced cheese varieties with cheaper alternatives. After a price increase of more than 20% since the first quarter of 2022, consumers are…

Cheese in France has experienced mixed fortunes in 2022 and 2023 following an upturn in demand during pandemic-related home seclusion in 2020. Price rises across the board are resulting in retail volume declines for many types. The notable exceptions…

Cheese received a boost in current retail value sales when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions hit Finland, with consumers bulk buying cheese for home use. In 2023, as in 2022, sales continued to normalise; nonetheless, cooking and snacking at home…

Butter and spreads continues to face substantial challenges in 2023 as the supply chain remains unstable, milk prices fluctuate, and labour remains an issue. Indeed, as feed and fertiliser prices that plateaued in September 2022 remain extremely…

Butter and spreads witnessed among the highest unit price growth in dairy in 2022 resulting in the category seeing double-digit growth in current value terms. However, sales plummeted in retail volume terms in 2022, even more significantly than in…

Retail volume sales of butter and spreads remained static in 2023. Demand for such products experienced an upturn during the pandemic, when people spent more time cooking and baking at home. Butter and spreads are particularly likely to be used at…

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, consumers found or rediscovered a passion for cooking/baking and the demand for quality, but also traditional, butter increased. Thus, COVID-19 in Italy saw demand increase strongly as consumers stocked up…

Due to the increase in price points, general inflation, and consumers' lower disposable incomes, the demand for butter has decreased. Consumers have looked to make butter last longer, to purchase cheaper varieties or simply remove the product from…

Butter has long been a staple dairy ingredient in German cuisine, with a rich history and cultural significance. After two years of pandemic-driven home seclusion, which benefited the consumption of butter as cooking and baking were adopted as…

Butter benefited from the first year of home seclusion during the pandemic, with retail sales climbing as consumers cooked and baked more frequently at home. While retail volume sales continue to decline in 2023 following a notable drop the previous…

The consumption of butter and spreads continues to normalise in 2023, following the heightened demand witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Finns cooked and ate more at home. In addition, unit prices increased in 2022 and continued to do so at…

Baby food continues to recover from the pandemic-related disruptions observed in 2020. Retail volume growth is evident across milk formula and other baby food categories as busy local parents have less time to prepare food at home, and demand safe…

A low birth rate is behind the continuing decline of baby food sales in Spain in 2023. Spain’s birth rate is being negatively affected by economic challenges and changes in social and cultural norms. Traditional expectations of having a large family…

Retail volume sales of baby food saw modest growth in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Demand for milk formula in Portugal is strongly dependant on professional guidance. Consumers first make contact with medical professionals at the…

Baby food is significantly affected by a high inflation rate in 2022 and 2023. The upturn in the inflation rate, which gained momentum in March 2022 and in subsequent months, is, however, on the downturn in 2023. The rush of Italian consumers to…

The low birth rate in Greece is a challenge for retail volume sales of baby food. While the price hikes in 2022 and 2023 meant that baby food is set to record a positive current retail value growth, parents are finding it difficult to afford. As…

The recovery of baby food’s retail volume sales, evident in 2022, is expected to continue throughout 2023, albeit at slower growth rates. The category’s resilient performance is set to be fuelled by a partial return to pre-pandemic mobility patterns.…

The birth rate in France continues to fall, thereby negatively impacting retail sales of baby food. A marginal boost was expected post-pandemic, but the birth rate is now at its lowest rate since 1946, according to French National Statistics body…

Due to inflation and growing production costs, baby food saw unit prices increase. While slow birth rates continue, the convenience and popularity of feeding babies with prepared baby food in Finland is driving sales. Parents reach for convenient…

With the cost of living pressures remaining a cause for concern in 2023, less-essential products like yoghurts are being overlooked in the weekly shop. The switch to private labels and economy brands has also accelerated, with Danes paying more…

Yoghurt and sour milk products are set to register a moderate performance in 2023, with rising retail value sales. Yoghurt, which includes plain yoghurts, flavoured yoghurts and drinking yoghurts, generates the lion’s share of sales. Flavoured…

Following a period of phenomenal sales growth in plant-based dairy in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic, retail volume sales of plant-based dairy have slowed in 2022 and 2023. High-priced plant-based products have suffered due to rapidly growing…

In 2023, plant-based dairy is set to perform well, with average unit prices remaining relatively stable. The demand for plant-based products continues as more and more consumers take an interest in animal welfare, the environment and health.…

Other dairy continues to suffer in 2023 with retail volume sales declining even as price inflation recedes. Chilled dairy desserts and flavoured fromage frais/ quark have suffered the most from high inflation, as these are perceived as high-priced…

Other dairy is set to record a stable performance in terms of current retail value and volume sales in 2023. Although average unit prices have remained stable during 2023, they continue to be at a high level. As consumers have less money to spend,…

Drinking milk products continued to register declining volume sales in 2023 as increasing numbers of Danish consumers reduced their consumption of cows’ milk and the long-term negative growth trends continued to plague the category. As consumer…

Drinking milk products are set to record a moderate performance in 2023. Retail volume sales will register a stagnant performance, as current retail value sales of overall drinking milk products decline compared to 2022, as average unit prices of…

Following the unprecedented price hikes seen in dairy and alternatives in 2022, retail prices have fallen slightly in 2023. Consumption levels have improved compared to the previous year, but retail prices remain high, with global and European stock…

Dairy products and alternatives is set to record stagnant current retail value sales in 2023, while dairy continues to generate the bulk of sales. With the health and wellness trend rising, dairy products benefit from generally being considered…

Cheese retail prices have started to fall in 2023, following the sharp spike in the previous year, leading to a slight recovery in retail volume sales. Dairy leader Arla Foods has begun to lower prices, with supermarkets and competitors following its…

Austria is a country with a strong tradition of cheese-making, and the consumption of a wide range of cheese remains very popular in the country, leading cheese to account for the largest share of value sales within overall dairy products and…

Butter and spreads witnessed dynamic price increases in 2022, driven by global price inflation and an increase in global demand. As a result, some grocery retailers decreased their profit margins in order to absorb some of these costs. Moving into…

Following the record-high growth rates for Butter during 2022, due to inflation and the higher cost of energy, boosting price points, the average unit price of Butter slightly declined in 2023. The amount of special offers for branded butter products…

Baby food is witnessing strong retail volume growth compared to most dairy categories, driven by the return to pre-pandemic habits. With parents returning to busy lifestyles and less time devoted to home cooking, consumers are more reliant on…

Prepared baby food continues to generate a substantial part of baby food's current retail value sales, with glass jars and pouches being extremely popular due to the high levels of convenience they offer. As such, prepared baby food is set to…

Private label – retailers’ alternatives to brands – tend to benefit from inflation. However, despite record inflation in France, Germany and the UK, the market share of private label in the three countries remained broadly stable across FMCGs in…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with income inequality, mass migration and rising uncertainty about another crisis being among the major ones. Nevertheless, within this lie untapped opportunities. This…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

Now in its seventh edition, this report explores the top digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this edition touch on topics such as second-hand shopping, community group buying,…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

Growth in plant-based dairy continues to be strong in Western Europe, with these products enjoying expanding distribution and rising consumer awareness. Other plant-based milk continues to take share from soy drinks, while plant-based yoghurt and…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

Cheese sales, after receiving significant impetus in 2020 due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), continued to grow in real value terms in 2021. Sales remain above pre-pandemic levels as consumers were still cooking and eating more at home than usual as…

The growing popularity of subscription boxes has led to a rise in M&A activity and funding for subscription box start-ups. Available across industries, they target specific consumer needs through different subscription models: pure convenience,…