Table of Contents
Executive Summary
-
- The issues
- Cheese category continues to perform well
-
- Figure 1: Total US retail sales and fan chart forecast of cheese, at current prices, 2010-20
- Natural cheese strongest growth, processed cheese flat
-
- Figure 2: Total US retail sales of cheese ($ billions), by segment, 2010-15
- Consumers want more local, authentic cheeses
-
- Figure 3: Select attitudes toward cheese – Any agree, by Millennials and non-Millennials, August 2015
- The opportunities
- Consumers want natural, BFY (better-for-you) options
-
- Figure 4: Ideal natural cheese claims, by Millennials and non-Millennials, August 2015
- Reach parents with health-focused messaging, and organic, non-dairy cheeses
-
- Figure 5: Select attitudes toward cheese – Any agree, by parental status, August 2015
- In-store experiences can help educate consumers
-
- Figure 6: Select attitudes toward cheese – Any agree, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2015
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Cheese sales reach $23.2 billion in 2015
- Natural cheese continues to drive category growth
- Other retail channels, natural channels perform well
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Cheese category to reach $27.7 billion in 2020
-
- Figure 7: Total US retail sales and fan chart forecast of cheese, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of market, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 9: Total US retail sales and forecast of market, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2010-20
Market Breakdown
-
- Natural cheese dominates
-
- Figure 10: Total US retail sales of cheese, by segment share, 2015
- Figure 11: Total US retail sales of cheese ($ billions), by segment, 2010-15
- Cheese sales in other retail channels growing rapidly
-
- Figure 12: Total US retail sales of cheese ($ billions), by channel, at current prices, 2010-15
-
- Figure 13: Natural supermarket sales of cheese, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks September 2013-September 2015
- Figure 14: Natural supermarket sales of cheese, by brand positioning, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
-
- Figure 15: Natural supermarket sales of cheese, by organic ingredients, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
Market Factors
-
- Obesity and health concerns
-
- Figure 16: Percent of people aged 20 or older who are healthy weight, overweight, or obese, 2009-12
- Figure 17: Percent of children* who are obese, 2001-02 to 2011-12, by age
- Impact of snacking
-
- Figure 18: Daily snacking frequency, January 2015
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- Kraft Foods represents largest individual market share
- Private label launches increase
- Raw, non-dairy, and organic cheeses piquing consumer interests
Manufacturer Sales of Cheese
-
- Kraft retains single company market share lead
-
- Figure 19: “Consider The Source,” featuring Tillamook Cheese
- Manufacturer sales of cheese
-
- Figure 20: MULO sales of cheese, by leading companies, rolling 52-weeks 2014 and 2015
What’s Working?
-
- Private label continues to perform well
-
- Figure 21: MULO sales of private label natural cheese
-
- Figure 22: Natural cheese product launches, by branded vs. private label, 2010-14
- Emphasizing “natural”
-
- Figure 23: MULO sales of Kraft Foods Inc. natural cheese
- Figure 24: Sargento, “We’re Real Cheese People,” February 2015
-
- Figure 25: MULO sales of Sargento Food Company natural cheese
- Figure 26: “Un-American Cheese,” June 2015
-
- Figure 27: MULO sales of Tillamook County Creamery natural cheese
- Figure 28: MULO sales of Cabot Creamery natural cheese
What’s Struggling?
-
- Galbani, Precious, Athenos brands decline
-
- Figure 29: MULO sales of Galbani (Sorrento) natural cheese
- Figure 30: MULO sales of Athenos natural cheese
- Processed cheese declines
-
- Figure 31: MULO sales of Boursin processed cheese
- Figure 32: MULO sales of Borden processed cheese
What’s Next?
-
- High-quality non-dairy options
- Continued growth of organic claims
-
- Figure 33: Growth of select cheese product claims, August 2010-July 2015
- Raw cheeses
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Processed cheese consumption declines
- Consumers prefer more traditional cheeses
- Product trial, information can inform purchase decisions
Cheese Consumption
-
- Cheese consumption, frequency rises slightly
-
- Figure 34: Natural cheese consumption, 2014-15
-
- Figure 35: Household consumption of American/pasteurized processed cheese, 2010-15
-
- Figure 36: Processed cheese consumption, 2014-15
- Parents significantly more likely to eat cheese
-
- Figure 37: Cheese consumption, by parental status, August 2015
- Whites, Hispanics slightly more likely to eat both cheese types
-
- Figure 38: Cheese consumption, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2015
Reasons for Purchasing Cheese by Store Section
-
- Convenience, affordability strongly associated with dairy section
- Key demographics
- Dairy section
- Deli section
- Specialty cheese section/shop
-
- Figure 39: Correspondence Analysis – Reasons for purchasing cheese by store section, August 2015
-
- Figure 40: Reasons for purchasing cheese by store section, August 2015
Perceptions of Cheese Store Sections
-
- Specialty cheese section perceived as sophisticated, expensive
- Key demographics
- Dairy section
- Deli section
- Specialty cheese section/shop
-
- Figure 41: Correspondence Analysis – Perceptions of cheese by store section, August 2015
-
- Figure 42: Perceptions of cheese by store section, August 2015
Consumers’ Ideal Natural Cheese
-
- Ideal natural cheese is savory, preservative-free cow’s milk cheese
-
- Figure 43: Ideal natural cheese, August 2015
- Flavor
-
- Figure 44: Ideal natural cheese flavor, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2015
- Protein base
-
- Figure 45: Ideal natural cheese protein base, August 2015
-
- Figure 46: Natural supermarket sales of cheese, by milk source, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
- Claims
-
- Figure 47: Ideal natural cheese claims, by Millennials and non-Millennials, August 2015
- Format
-
- Figure 48: Ideal natural cheese format, August 2015
- Packaging
-
- Figure 49: Ideal natural cheese packaging, August 2015
Attitudes toward Cheese
-
- Authenticity, local cheeses valued
-
- Figure 50: Select attitudes toward cheese – Any agree, by Millennials and non-Millennials, August 2015
- Parents more health conscious
-
- Figure 51: Select attitudes toward cheese – Any agree, by parental status, August 2015
- In-store experience impactful on cheese purchases
-
- Figure 52: Select attitudes toward cheese – Any agree, by race and Hispanic origin, August 2015
Consumer Segmentation
-
-
- Figure 53: Cheese clusters, August 2015
- Group one: Cheese Apathetic
- Group two: Cheese Connoisseurs
- Group three: Cheese Curious
- Cluster methodology
-
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
-
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Market
-
-
- Figure 54: Total US retail sales and forecast of cheese, by segment, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 55: Total US retail sales of cheese, by segment, at current prices, 2013 and 2015
- Figure 56: Total US retail sales and forecast of natural cheese, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 57: Total US retail sales and forecast of processed cheese, at current prices, 2010-20
-
- Figure 58: Total US retail sales and forecast of cream cheese/cream cheese spreads, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 59: Total US retail sales of cheese, by channel, at current prices, 2010-15
- Figure 60: Total US retail sales of cheese, by channel, at current prices, 2013 and 2015
-
- Figure 61: US supermarket sales of cheese, at current prices, 2010-15
- Figure 62: US sales of cheese through other retail channels, at current prices, 2010-15
- Natural channel sales
-
- Figure 63: Natural supermarket sales of cheese, by subcategory, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
- Figure 64: Organic share of natural supermarket sales of cheese, by segment, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
- Figure 65: Natural supermarket sales of cheese*, by lactose-free labeling, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
-
- Figure 66: Lactose-free-labeled share of natural supermarket sales of cheese*, by segment, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
- Figure 67: Natural supermarket sales of cheese, by type of cheese and milk source, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
-
- Figure 68: Naturally positioned brands' share of natural supermarket sales of cheese, by segment, at current prices, rolling 52-weeks ending 9/8/13 and 9/6/15
-
Appendix – Key Players
-
-
- Figure 69: MULO sales of natural cheese, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52-weeks 2014 and 2015
- Figure 70: MULO sales of processed cheese, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52-weeks 2014 and 2015
-
- Figure 71: MULO sales of cream cheese/cheese spreads, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52-weeks 2014 and 2015
-
Appendix – Consumer
-
-
- Figure 72: Household consumption of cream cheese, 2010-15
-
Appendix – Correspondence Analysis
-
- Methodology
Back to top