Dairy

Setting the scene and introducing the top 20 brands of 2019.

Dairy: everywhere, everyday

Dairy products are ever present in most consumers’ lives, and certainly in their shopping baskets, with 94% of households buying the sector in an average week. The sector has a unique challenge, and opportunity, because many of the categories within it are co-dependent on other foods and drinks. For example, butter is only consumed on or in something and milk’s success is intrinsically linked to the popularly of hot drinks and cereals. So the growth or decline in demand for things like sandwiches and black tea, naturally have a strong impact on the fortunes of dairy brands. Successful dairy brands must therefore be fully alert to wider consumption trends.

This Brand Footprint report is being published at a time of huge behavioural and economic change due to COVID-19. At the time of writing this situation is ongoing and the long-term outlook is unclear.
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Two substantial forces are driving change and growth in the sector. The first is the discounters, in which brands are becoming a more common sight, and this increase in distribution is naturally having a positive effect on sales.

Retailer shares of dairy category

Top 20 Dairy Brands

The second factor is the rise of plant-based dairy. We include dairy alternatives in this report because they can play the same role as traditional dairy at the moment of consumption, whether chosen for perceived health benefits or due to intolerance. A category which didn’t even exist a few years ago, dairy alternatives are in significant growth, with fast-expanding ranges and wider availability. Dairy alternative brands are launching products across multiple categories while traditional dairy brands are creating plant-based alternatives of favourite products.