Ireland Milk and Dairy Alternatives Market Report 2022
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Report Summary
“The milk and dairy alternative market continues to grow and evolve as milk is a staple product in most Irish homes. COVID-19 has seen consumers spend more time at home and seek out products rich with health benefits, putting at-home milk consumption at an all-time high. However, dairy alternatives are also rising in popularity as Irish consumers’ ethical beliefs sway how they shop.”
– Natalie Magill, Research Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- The impact of COVID-19 on milk and milk alternative consumption habits.
- How growing eco and ethical concerns are shaping dairy and non-dairy drink usage.
- What factors in relation to dairy and non-dairy have become more important to consumers in the last 12 months?
- What impact has Brexit and supply chain issues had on milk supply and production?
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- What is covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- Figure 1: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on milk and milk alternative retail sales, 2021
- Pandemic boosts sales for milk and alternatives
- Figure 2: Estimated retail sales of liquid milk, by value, IoI, NI, and RoI, 2016-21
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- Figure 3: Estimated retail sales of non-dairy milk, by value, IoI, NI, and RoI, 2016-26
- NI milk prices increased towards the end of 2021
- The prices of dairy alternatives fluctuated between November 2019 and November 2021
- Dairy alternative brands invest more in R&D
- Consumers show interest in the functional properties of plant-based alternatives
- Ethical efforts and equal pay for farmers
- Farmers receive support to convert to organic farming
- The impact of Brexit encourages IoI to support local
- Companies to increase accessibility by stocking in supermarkets
- Companies, brands and innovations
- The consumer
- Irish consumers prefer standard cow’s milk
- Figure 4: Types of dairy and non-dairy milk that consumers have used or served in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2022
- Semi-skimmed vs whole milk
- Figure 5: Types of milk that consumers have used in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2021
- RoI consumers are willing to spend €2+, whereas NI consumers pay £1-£1.49
- Figure 6: How much consumers would be willing to pay for a two-litre container of standard white cow’s milk, RoI, 2021
- Figure 7: How much consumers would be willing to pay for a two-litre container of standard white cow’s milk, NI, 2021
- Consumers seek out locally sourced milk
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards locally sourced milk/supporting farmers, NI and RoI, 2021
- Health is important reason for milk consumption
- Figure 9: Consumer attitudes towards milk and milk alternatives regarding health, NI and RoI, 2021
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The Market – What You Need to Know
- Milk and milk alternative sales increase during pandemic
- NI milk prices increased towards the end of 2021
- The prices of dairy alternatives fluctuated between November 2019 and November 2021
- Dairy alternative brands invest more in R&D
- Consumers show interest in the functional properties of plant-based alternatives
- Ethical efforts and equal pay for farmers
- Farmers receive support to convert to organic farming
- The impact of Brexit encourages IoI to support local
- Companies to increase accessibility by stocking in supermarkets
- Milk and milk alternative sales increase during pandemic
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Market Size and Forecast
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- Short, medium and long-term impact on the industry
- Figure 10: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on milk and milk alternative retail sales, 2021
- Lockdowns boost overall expenditure on milk
- Figure 11: Estimated retail sales of liquid milk, by value, IoI, NI, and RoI, 2016-26
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- Figure 12: How worried consumers are about the risk of being exposed to COVID-19, IoI, 2020-22
- Non-dairy gets a shot in the arm from health associations
- Figure 13: Estimated retail sales of non-dairy milk, by value, IoI, NI, and RoI, 2016-26
- Figure 14: If COVID-19 has changed consumers priorities in relation to healthy eating, IoI, 2020-22
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Market Drivers
- NI milk prices spiked towards the end of 2021
- Figure 15: Consumer price indices for fresh whole and low-fat milk, UK (including NI), November 2019-November 2021
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- Figure 16: Consumer price indices for fresh whole and low-fat milk, RoI, November 2019-November 2021
- Dairy alternative prices have fluctuated over the past two years
- Figure 17: Consumer price indices of other milk products, UK (including NI) and Ireland, November 2019-November 2021
- Technology boosts the dairy alternatives market
- Figure 18: I have tried or would be interested in trying food/drink that… – Select items, UK and Ireland, 2021
- Functional plant-based alternatives to attract health-conscious consumers
- Figure 19: New product launches of dairy alternatives with a functional claim, UK and Ireland, 2021
- Dairy competitors driven to be more transparent in their ethical efforts
- Figure 20: Features that would encourage consumers to buy products/services that claim to benefit/protect the environment, UK and Ireland, 2021
- Dairy farmers making organic changes
- Figure 21: Types of Dairy food and drink products typically bought, IoI, 2021
- Consumers support equal pay for farmers
- Brexit’s impact on Irish dairy
- The impact of COVID-19 on the dairy industry
- Figure 22: How worried are you about the risk of being exposed to the coronavirus (also known as COVID-19)?, IoI, 2022
- NI milk prices spiked towards the end of 2021
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Companies and Innovations – What You Need to Know
- Growth of the plant-based claim
- Ethical packaging claims stay most popular
- Increased interest in functional milk and dairy alternatives
- Growth of the plant-based claim
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Who’s Innovating?
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- The plant-based claim has become more popular
- Figure 23: New releases of milk and alternative dairy products with a plant-based claim, UK and Ireland, 2017-21
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- Figure 24: Veg of Lund’s new plant-based milk brand, Dug
- Ethical packaging remains the top claim
- Figure 25: New releases of milk and dairy alternatives with an ethical claim, UK and Ireland, 2017-21
- Figure 26: New releases of milk and dairy alternatives with ethical packaging, UK and Ireland, 2021
- The functional claim category experienced positive growth
- Figure 27: New releases of milk and dairy alternatives, by claim category, UK and Ireland, 2017-21
- Figure 28: Consumers’ top health priorities, UK and Ireland, 2021
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- Figure 29: New releases of milk and dairy alternatives with functional claims, UK and Ireland, 2021
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Companies and Brands
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- Alpro
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Figure 30: Product portfolio of Alpro’s milk drinks
- Brand NPD
- Figure 31: New product releases from Alpro, UK and Ireland, 2021
- Recent developments
- Arla Foods UK
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Arrabawn
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Aurivo
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Dale Farm
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Figure 32: Product portfolio of Dale Farm’s milk drinks
- Recent developments
- Draynes Farm
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Glanbia
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Figure 33: Product portfolio of Glanbia’s milk brands
- Recent developments
- Kerry Group
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Lakeland Dairies Group
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Ornua
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
- Strathroy Dairy
- Key facts
- Product portfolio
- Recent developments
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The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Standard cow’s milk remains a favourite amongst Irish consumers
- Split opinions surrounding semi-skimmed vs whole milk
- Locally sourced is important amongst Irish consumers
- Health is a driving factor when purchasing milk
- Standard cow’s milk remains a favourite amongst Irish consumers
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Usage of Milk and Non-dairy Substitutes
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- Standard cow’s milk is preferred amongst Irish consumers
- Figure 34: Types of dairy and non-dairy milk that consumers have used or served in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2022
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- Figure 35: Preference of chilled and non-chilled milk in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2021
- Younger consumers seek out dairy alternatives
- Figure 36: Types of non-dairy milk that consumers have used or served in the last three months, by age group, NI and RoI, 2022
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- Figure 37: Agreement with the statement “a wide selection of dairy free drinks options are important at a coffee shop” by age group, NI and RoI, 2021
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Types of Milk Used
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- Semi-skimmed vs full-fat/whole milk
- Figure 38: Types of milk that consumers have used in the last three months, NI and RoI, 2021
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- Figure 39: Types of butter and butter-like spreads used in the last three months, NI and RoI, June 2020
- Women favour semi-skimmed milk
- Figure 40: Consumers who have used semi-skimmed milk in the last three months, by gender, NI and RoI, 2021
- Figure 41: Consumers who agreed they would be interested in a sweet/savoury spread made with low-calorie sweeteners, by gender, NI and RoI, 2021
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Consumer Spending Habits Towards Milk
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- RoI consumers are willing to spend €2 or more on milk
- Figure 42: How much consumers would be willing to pay for a two-litre container of standard white cow’s milk, RoI, 2021
- Younger consumers are willing to spend more
- Figure 43: Consumers who are willing to pay €2 for a two-litre container of standard white cow’s milk, by age demographic, RoI, 2021
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- Figure 44: Consumers who have reduced their red meat intake in the last six months, by age group, NI and RoI, 2021
- NI consumers willing to spend £1-1.49 on milk
- Figure 45: How much consumers would be willing to pay for a two-litre container of standard white cow’s milk, NI, 2021
- NI women want to spend less on milk
- Figure 46: How much consumers are willing to pay for a two-litre container of standard white cow’s milk, by gender, NI, 2021
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- Figure 47: Consumers who are mainly/wholly responsible for grocery retailing in a household, by gender, NI and RoI, 2020 and 2021
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Eco and Ethical Issues with Milk and Non-dairy Substitutes
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- Consumers hold retailers accountable for animal welfare
- Figure 48: Attitudes towards eco and ethical issues in milk, NI and RoI, 2021
- Figure 49: Agreement with statements related to food and ethics, NI and RoI, August 2020
- Environmental issues are a priority amongst young consumers
- Figure 50: Consumers who agree that environmental reasons would encourage them to switch from standard milk to milk alternatives, by age demographic, NI and RoI, 2022
- Figure 51: Consumers who agree they prefer snacks with recyclable packaging, by age group, NI and RoI, 2021
- Consumers seek out locally sourced milk
- Figure 52: Attitudes towards locally sourced milk/supporting farmers, NI and RoI, 2021
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Attitudes Towards Milk and Non-dairy Substitutes
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- Price doesn’t dictate where consumers shop
- Figure 53: Attitudes towards milk and milk alternatives, NI and RoI, 2021
- Health is important reason for milk consumption
- Figure 54: Consumer attitudes towards milk and milk alternatives regarding health, NI and RoI, 2021
- Figure 55: Irish consumers top health priorities, NI and RoI, 2021
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- Figure 56: Milk products that are high in vitamins aimed at children, UK and Ireland, 2022
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Data sources
- Market size rationale
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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