IDDBA's What's In Store 2016: Dairy Trends Forecast

Madison, WI — The dairy department is well-situated to capitalize on the “health halo” of products, as positive nutrition and wellness attributes are prioritized by today’s dairy department shoppers, especially Millennials looking for good breakfast sources and healthy eating occasions. This trend is one of many examined in What’s in Store 2016, the annual trends research report published by the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA).

Other findings from the book’s Dairy chapter include:

• Age and income continue to be drivers of spending within the dairy department, with the highest spending or dollar buying rates occurring among female household heads between 35 and 44 years of age (with kids at home) and households with the greatest spending power (incomes of $100,000 or more).

• Dairy producers are telling their story and detailing the transparency of their operations by reaching out to consumers, especially Millennials, through online channels like social media and company websites.

• Consumers are seeking clean labels on dairy products that reveal simple ingredient lists, “free-from” ingredients, and sustainability actions.

• Protein continues to drive dairy product trends, as 62% of consumers consider protein content when making food choices and 78% believe protein contributes to a healthy diet.

IDDBA research revealed positive views of the current state of the dairy industry, as its products offer many of the attributes today’s shoppers seek.  “I believe that the dairy industry is sitting in a very nice place right now,” said Donna Berry, food scientist, editor and consultant, Daily Dose of Dairy. “Everything that dairy is about sits very nicely with today’s consumer. It’s local, it’s fresh, and it’s minimally-processed, for the most part. It’s very appealing to today’s clean-label shopping consumer, in all age groups.”

With 30 years of credible reporting, What’s in Store is an essential dairy-deli-supermarket foodservice-bakery-cheese resource providing vital data on the retail and market trends, growth, and category changes shaping the food industry. IDDBA also offers What’s in Store Online, is a collection of 150 downloadable tables, as well as white papers and trends articles.

A secondary research report, What’s in Store is developed through both interviews with industry experts and sourcing of third-party data and trends. (A complete listing of sources can be found here.)

This year’s edition of What’s in Store has a more continuous storyline to improve user efficiency and provide greater clarity for professionals needing to understand today’s retail world. Through five themes, readers gain new insights and learn about marketplace influences. The themes are:

• The Economy & Retail Trends
• Channels & Competition
• Consumer Lifestyles
• Eating Trends
• Technology and Marketing

“The dairy department offers the type of products today’s shoppers seek—fresh, minimally-processed, and local—providing ideal opportunities to connect with both traditional dairy department shoppers and more wellness-minded consumers,” said Jeremy Johnson, education director, IDDBA. “Knowledge of eating and shopping trends can assist dairy departments and manufacturers in producing and offering products that resonate with customers.”

The themed narrative is carried into each of the product chapters: Bakery, Cheese, Dairy, and Deli. The new format, exclusive interview content, and inclusion of key insights, table interpretations, data callouts, and testimonials enables the reader to more efficiently tie back to the broader context and then dig deeper in each of the product sections.

The purchase price of What’s in Store 2016 is $99 members, $399 nonmembers. Purchase one or multiple copies and learn more about What’s in Store 2016 and IDDBA’s collection of original research reports at iddba.org.

About IDDBA:  IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese, and supermarket foodservice industries. Member companies enjoy many benefits and services including the annual seminar and expo, leading-edge research, free training programs, management tools, and an annual trends report. For more information, contact IDDBA at 608.310.5000 or visit iddba.org.

Source: International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA)