Table of Contents
Introduction
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- Key themes of the report
- Definitions
- Consumer research
- Market size rationale
- Data sources
- Abbreviations
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Forecast
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- Figure 1: Indexed estimated retail sales of cheese, RoI and NI, 2010-20
- Market factors
- Consumer price fall
- Six in 10 buy own-brand cheese
- Discounters selling more cheese
- Innovations
- The consumer
- Cheddar the most popular type of cheese
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- Figure 2: Types of cheese bought by consumers for themselves or others in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Cheese most likely to be used in a sandwich or on toast
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- Figure 3: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Cheese seen as good protein source
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- Figure 4: Agreement with statements relating to cheese, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Consumers would like to see less salt in cheese
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- Figure 5: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, NI and RoI, March 2015
- What we think
Insights and Issues
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- What types of cheese are the most used by Irish consumers?
- The facts
- The implications
- In what ways are Irish consumers most likely to eat cheese?
- The facts
- The implications
- What impact has the growing usage of discounters had on the way that consumers buy cheese?
- The facts
- The implications
- What innovations in cheese products would appeal to Irish consumers?
- The facts
- The implications
Market Overview
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- Key points
- Consumer prices for cheese fall between 2014 and 2015
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- Figure 6: Consumer price indices of cheese and curds, RoI, January 2010-March 2015
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- Figure 7: Consumer price indices of milk, cheese and other dairy products, UK (including NI), 2005-15
- Disposable income levels still low
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- Figure 8: How consumers rate their current financial situation, NI and RoI, March 2014 and 2015
- Six in 10 have bought own-brand cheese
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- Figure 9: Top 10 types of own-brand goods that consumers have purchased in the last 12 months, NI and RoI, October 2014
- Homogenous nature of many cheese products seeing more consumers buy on price
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- Figure 10: Agreement with the statement ‘Branded cheeses are better quality than own-label cheeses’, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Discounters increasingly important channel to market
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- Figure 11: Estimated total retail sales of discounters, NI and RoI, 2012 and 2014
- More cheese being sold via discounters in UK; less by traditional supermarkets
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Cheese sales value stagnating
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- Figure 12: Estimated retail sales of cheese, IoI, RoI and NI, 2010-20
- NI cheese market value
- RoI value set to decline, NI set to grow – backed by inflation
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- Figure 13: Indexed estimated retail sales of cheese, RoI and NI, 2010-20
- Figure 14: Consumer price index forecast, NI and RoI, 2010-20
- Specialty cheese increases market share
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- Figure 15: Estimated value of RoI speciality cheese market, 2012 and 2015
- Farmhouse cheese reported to have seen excellent growth
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Companies and Innovations
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- Key points
- Innovations
- Hard cheese launches account for six in 10 product launches
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- Figure 16: New product launches to cheese sector, by type of cheese, UK and Ireland, 2010-15*
- Figure 17: New product launches to cheese sector, by cheese format, UK and Ireland, 2010-15
- Extremely strong increase in cheese without additives or preservatives
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- Figure 18: New product launches to cheese sector, by claim, UK and Ireland, 2010-14
- Stronger level of premium launches
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- Figure 19: Economy cheese product launches vs premium cheese product launches, UK and Ireland, 2010-14
- Convenient packaging
- Low-fat offerings
- Company profiles
- Arla Foods UK Plc
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Dale Farm Ltd
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- The Carbery Group
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Dairygold Food Ingredients
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Recent developments
- Fivemiletown
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Glanbia Plc
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Kerry Group Plc
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Mondelēz International
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
- Ornua
- Key facts
- Brands and products
- Brand NPD
- Recent developments
The Consumer – Types of Cheese Bought
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- Key points
- Cheddar bought by four in five consumers
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- Figure 20: Types of cheese bought by consumers for themselves or others in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Cheddar usage peaks among mature consumers
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- Figure 21: Consumers who have bought cheddar cheese in the last three months, by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2015
- RoI consumers show stronger use of soft and hard continental
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- Figure 22: Consumers who have bought hard versus soft continental cheese in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 23: Consumers who have bought hard versus soft continental cheese in the last three months, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2015
- NI consumers show strong usage of snack packs and spreadable cheese
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- Figure 24: Consumers who have bought mini portions/snack packs of cheese and spreadable cheese in the last three months, by age of children in household, NI and RoI, March 2015
- RoI consumers more likely to buy low-fat cheese
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- Figure 25: Consumers who have bought low/reduced fat cheese in the last three months, by gender, NI and RoI, March 2015
The Consumer – How Consumers Use Cheese
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- Key points
- Cheese in sandwiches most common method of usage
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- Figure 26: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Sandwich use drops off amongst over-55s
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- Figure 27: Consumers who have eaten cheese in a sandwich in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Over a third use for cooking
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- Figure 28: Consumers who have used cheese when cooking in the last three months, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, March 2015
- NI consumers show stronger usage of cheese on toast
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- Figure 29: Consumers who have eaten cheese on toast in the last three months, by age, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Women more likely to use cheese in packed lunch for themselves, partner or kids
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- Figure 30: Consumers who have eaten cheese as part of a packed lunch for themselves, a partner or for children in the last three months, by gender, NI and RoI, March 2015
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Cheese
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- Key points
- Cheese seen as good source of protein
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- Figure 31: Agreement with statements relating to cheese, NI and RoI, March 2015
- NI consumers more likely to have no preference for UK or Irish cheese
- Consumers still like to know where cheese comes from
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- Figure 32: Agreement with the statement ‘I like to know the country of origin of the cheese I buy’, by age, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Irish consumers prefer full-fat cheese
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- Figure 33: Agreement with the statement ‘I think full-fat cheese tastes better than low-fat cheese’, by gender, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Half of consumers would pay more for the benefit of farmers
The Consumer – Interest in Innovations for Cheese
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- Key points
- Strong desire for reduced salt cheese
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- Figure 34: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Reduced salt cheeses appeal more to older consumers
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- Figure 35: Consumers who would be interested in trying reduced salt cheese, by age, NI and RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 36: Salt content in cheese products, November 2012
- NI consumers show stronger willingness to try branded cheese-bread products
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- Figure 37: Consumers who would be interested in trying bread products made with their favourite brand of cheese (eg Cathedral City dough balls), by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2015
- Coated cheeses appeal more to affluent consumers
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- Figure 38: Types of coated/and marinated cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2015
- RoI consumers more likely to be interested in lacto-free cheese products
Appendix
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- NI Toluna tables
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- Figure 39: Types of cheese that consumers have bought in the last three months, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 40: Types of cheese that consumers have bought in the last three months, by demographics, NI, March 2015 (continued)
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- Figure 41: Types of cheese that consumers have bought in the last three months, by demographics, NI, March 2015 (continued)
- Figure 42: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 43: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, by demographics, NI, March 2015 (continued)
- Figure 44: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, by demographics, NI, March 2015 (continued)
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- Figure 45: Agreement with the statement ‘I check the saturated fat content (eg on labels) when buying cheese’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 46: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be interested in trying a low-salt alternative to my favourite cheese’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 47: Agreement with the statement ‘Eating cheese is a good way to get protein in my diet’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 48: Agreement with the statement ‘Harder cheese is less convenient to use in a wrap or bagel than it is in a sandwich’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 49: Agreement with the statement ‘I like to know the country of origin of the cheese I buy’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 50: Agreement with the statement ‘I have no preference between buying British or Irish cheese’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 51: Agreement with the statement ‘I prefer the flavour of milder-tasting cheese to stronger-tasting cheese ’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 52: Agreement with the statement ‘I am willing to pay more for a cheese made with milk from animals that are reared to a high animal welfare standard (ie minimum number of days outside a year)’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 53: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be willing to pay more for a cheese if I knew the farmer was being paid a fair price’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 54: Agreement with the statement ‘Branded cheeses are better quality than own-label cheeses’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 55: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like information about how long cheese is matured for (eg 12 months) to be displayed on-pack as standard’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 56: Agreement with the statement ‘I think full-fat cheese tastes better than low-fat cheese’, by demographics, NI, March 2015
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- Figure 57: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by demographics, NI, March 2015
- Figure 58: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by demographics, NI, March 2015 (continued)
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- Figure 59: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by demographics, NI, March 2015 (continued)
- RoI Toluna tables
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- Figure 60: Types of cheese that consumers have bought in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 61: Types of cheese that consumers have bought in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, March 2015 (continued)
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- Figure 62: Types of cheese that consumers have bought in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, March 2015 (continued)
- Figure 63: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 64: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, March 2015 (continued)
- Figure 65: Ways that consumers have eaten cheese in the last three months, by demographics, RoI, March 2015 (continued)
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- Figure 66: Agreement with the statement ‘I check the saturated fat content (eg on labels) when buying cheese’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 67: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be interested in trying a low-salt alternative to my favourite cheese’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 68: Agreement with the statement ‘Eating cheese is a good way to get protein in my diet’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 69: Agreement with the statement ‘Harder cheese is less convenient to use in a wrap or bagel than it is in a sandwich’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 70: Agreement with the statement ‘I like to know the country of origin of the cheese I buy’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 71: Agreement with the statement ‘I have no preference between buying British or Irish cheese’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 72: Agreement with the statement ‘I prefer the flavour of milder-tasting cheese to stronger-tasting cheese ’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 73: Agreement with the statement ‘I am willing to pay more for a cheese made with milk from animals that are reared to a high animal welfare standard (ie minimum number of days outside a year)’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 74: Agreement with the statement ‘I would be willing to pay more for a cheese if I knew the farmer was being paid a fair price’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 75: Agreement with the statement ‘Branded cheeses are better quality than own-label cheeses’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 76: Agreement with the statement ‘I would like information about how long cheese is matured for (eg 12 months) to be displayed on-pack as standard’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 77: Agreement with the statement ‘I think full-fat cheese tastes better than low-fat cheese’, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
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- Figure 78: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by demographics, RoI, March 2015
- Figure 79: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by demographics, RoI, March 2015 (continued)
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- Figure 80: Types of cheese products that consumers would be interested in trying, by demographics, RoI, March 2015 (continued)
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