Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

4 hours ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

4 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

20 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

20 hours ago

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

22 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

23 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

1 day ago
Yogurt Sales Show US Breakfast Culture is Changing
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
November 18, 2019

Share

What’s eating yogurt?
Despite shelves full of new varieties — from Icelandic to Australian to coconut-based — U.S. yogurt sales are in a multiyear slump. Yogurt companies are confident that more new products can boost sales. But some analysts are skeptical, saying larger trends — like growing sales of protein bars — will be hard to turn around.

“If we stay close to the consumer and continue to give them the food they want from a trend perspective and a health perspective, yogurt continues to grow.”Chobani President Peter McGuinness
“Consumers are just not eating as much yogurt as they once did,” said Caleb Bryant, associate director of food and drink reports for Mintel, a market research company.
U.S. sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks peaked at nearly $9 billion in 2015. In 2019, they’re expected to hit $8.2 billion, down 3.6% from 2018, Mintel says. They’re expected to fall another 10% to $7.4 billion by 2024.
Chobani — the second-biggest yogurt maker by U.S. market share — thinks innovation can halt that slide. On Monday, the company introduced its first oat-based yogurts, capitalizing on booming sales of oat milk and consumer interest in plant-based eating. The move follows market leader Danone’s introduction last July of oat-based yogurts under its So Delicious brand.
“If we stay close to the consumer and continue to give them the food they want from a trend perspective and a health perspective, yogurt continues to grow,” Chobani President Peter McGuinness said.
But for the first time, Chobani is also moving into non-yogurt products. In January, it’s launching four flavors of oat drinks as well as dairy-based coffee creamers. It’s an acknowledgment of market realities: coffee creamer and oat milk sales are climbing even as other products — including Greek yogurt and soy milk — struggle.

McGuinness Said Chobani Plans to Enter Other Market Categories

Health and animal welfare concerns are driving some Americans away from dairy altogether. Last week, the nation’s largest milk processor, Dean Foods, filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a decades-long decline in U.S. milk consumption.
McGuinness insists the move isn’t a defensive one, and that Chobani is still bullish on yogurt. The company felt coffee creamers were a good fit since cream is a byproduct of yogurt manufacturing, he said. And the company is convinced that plant-based eating is a trend with staying power.
“We love yogurt and we still think yogurt is underpenetrated,” McGuinness said. Chobani, which is privately held, says its dollar sales are up 9% so far this year thanks to the introduction of lower-sugar and coconut-based yogurts.
McGuinness said Chobani plans to enter other market categories, too. The company opened a 70,000-square-foot innovation center in Twin Falls, Idaho, earlier this year and has hired additional research and development staff.
Bryant agrees that innovation is important, but he said yogurt companies are just taking share from each other since overall sales aren’t growing.

Bryant Said the Market Will Only Grow if Yogurt Makers Attract New Consumers

He predicts yogurt sales will continue to fall because U.S. consumers are eating breakfast on the go and aren’t making time for spoonable yogurt. They have new options, like nutrition shakes and protein bars, and many aren’t keen on dairy products.

Bryant said the market will only grow if yogurt makers attract new consumers and convince them to eat yogurt for different occasions, like snacks or dinner. Yogurt treats for kids, for instance, have helped bring in new buyers, he said.
“It’s not one major factor. These little things are chipping away at the market,” he said.
In a Mintel survey released this month, 30% of people who bought yogurt in the past three months said they were also buying high-protein foods or probiotic foods instead of yogurt. Meanwhile, 18% said they were overwhelmed by the number of yogurts and yogurt drinks on the market. The average grocery store has more than 300 separate yogurt products, a 4% increase from 2015, said Acosta, a marketing firm.
McGuinness acknowledges that consumers are overwhelmed. He said Chobani frequently prunes its offerings and removes poor sellers.
“We need to stop duplication and make sure we are answering consumer trends and consumer needs,” he said.
Bryant said the market will only grow if yogurt makers attract new consumers and convince them to eat yogurt for different occasions, like snacks or dinner. Yogurt treats for kids, for instance, have helped bring in new buyers, he said.
Yogurts designed for specific diets might also attract consumers, Bryant said. After years of declining yogurt sales, General Mills helped stabilize its market share this year with its YQ-brand high protein yogurt.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

California Republicans Send Message to Trump: Deport Criminals, Not Our Vital Workers

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Intoxicated Employee Following Morning Disturbance

DON'T MISS

US Senate Strikes AI Regulation Ban From Trump Megabill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police, CHP Crack Down on Impaired Driving for July 4th

DON'T MISS

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

DON'T MISS

Zohran Mamdani Officially Wins Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Amaury Fernandez

DON'T MISS

CA Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law to Speed Housing Construction

DON'T MISS

Visalia Police Investigate Deadly Shooting Near Bethlehem Center

DON'T MISS

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

US Supreme Court Lets Parents Take Kids Out of Classes With LGBT Storybooks

UP NEXT

Bill Moyers, Broadcaster and LBJ’s White House Press Secretary, Dies at 91

UP NEXT

Tesla Executive, Elon Musk Confidant Leaves EV Maker, Bloomberg News Reports

UP NEXT

How a Birthday Boat Ride on Lake Tahoe Turned Tragic

UP NEXT

Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani in New York City Democratic Mayoral Contest

UP NEXT

Mamdani Holds Lead Over Cuomo in Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor

UP NEXT

Clovis Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison in Deadly Fentanyl Case

UP NEXT

Victims Identified as Death Toll Climbs to 8 in Lake Tahoe Boating Tragedy

UP NEXT

Florida to Build ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center for Migrants in Everglades

Fresno Police, CHP Crack Down on Impaired Driving for July 4th

37 minutes ago

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

1 hour ago

Zohran Mamdani Officially Wins Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor

1 hour ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Amaury Fernandez

2 hours ago

CA Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law to Speed Housing Construction

3 hours ago

Visalia Police Investigate Deadly Shooting Near Bethlehem Center

3 hours ago

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

3 hours ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

3 hours ago

Musk Promises a New Political Party if the GOP Bill Passes

3 hours ago

Dollar Gains Ground Against Major Peers After Better-Than-Expected US Jobs Data

4 hours ago

California Republicans Send Message to Trump: Deport Criminals, Not Our Vital Workers

Six Republicans in the California Legislature, including Minority Leader Brian Jones of San Diego, are urging President Donald Trump to use ...

10 minutes ago

10 minutes ago

California Republicans Send Message to Trump: Deport Criminals, Not Our Vital Workers

Fresno police arrested a suspect on suspicion of DUI Tuesday, July 1, 2025, morning after they showed up intoxicated to work, caused a disturbance, and struck another vehicle before arriving. (GV Wire/Anthony W. Haddad)
13 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest Intoxicated Employee Following Morning Disturbance

The U.S Capitol and an office are reflected in a window inside the Hart Senate Office Building as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
30 minutes ago

US Senate Strikes AI Regulation Ban From Trump Megabill

37 minutes ago

Fresno Police, CHP Crack Down on Impaired Driving for July 4th

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference after the Senate passes U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
1 hour ago

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

Zohran Mamdani addresses supporters on primary night, in New York, June 24, 2025. Mamdani, the democratic socialist whose blend of populist ideas and personal magnetism catapulted his upstart candidacy, has won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, according to The Associated Press. (Shuran Huang/The New York Times)
1 hour ago

Zohran Mamdani Officially Wins Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor

Amaury Fernandez is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for July 1, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Amaury Fernandez

3 hours ago

CA Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law to Speed Housing Construction

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend