This report looks at the following areas:
- Yogurt consumption trends and market size
- Consumption barriers and replacement products for yogurt
- Repurchase factors for chilled yogurt at different price points
- Types and flavours of yogurt ingredients that interest consumers
- Comparison of preferences for on-premise yogurt and packaged yogurt
Yogurt companies urgently need to overcome industry obstacles and find new category growth drivers to cope with continued downward pressure in the market.
Pepper Peng, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This report covers ambient yogurt, chilled yogurt and lactobacillus drinks.
Ambient yogurt in the Chinese market is mainly sold in a drinkable form at room temperature and does not require a spoon for consumption.
Chilled yogurt in the Chinese market refers to yogurt sold in refrigerated cabinets. Chilled yogurt usually comes in two formats: one is drinkable yogurt, which can be drunk directly or with a straw; the other is spoonable yogurt, which is eaten with a complimentary spoon.
Lactobacillus drinks are defined as dairy-based drinks fermented using lactic acid bacteria, with less than 2.3g protein content per 100ml. These drinks usually contain sugar or sweeteners, acids, juice and plant extracts.
Population definition:
In this report, Mintel defines consumers who drink yogurt or lactobacillus drinks ‘once a day or more’ as high-frequency consumers, ‘2-6 times a week’ as medium-frequency consumers, ‘2-3 times per month’ and ‘once a month or less’ as low-frequency consumers, and those who have not consumed yogurt in the past six months as non-consumers.
Collapse All
-
Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
- The market
- Downward pressure continues, challenges are severe
- Market factors
- Companies and brands
- National brands are more resilient, gaps between regional brand widen
- Marketing activity trends
- New product trends
- Graph 1: natural claims in new yogurt and lactobacillus drink products, 2020-24
- Graph 2: top fifteen flavours in new yogurt and lactobacillus drink products, 2020-24
- Examples of products reflecting these trends
- The consumer
- Yogurt consumption ticks up, but the growth trajectory remains unclear
- Graph 3: yogurt consumption frequency, 2024
- Yogurt continues to face challenges in taste and nutritional value for money
- Graph 4: reasons for not drinking yogurt, 2024
- Graph 5: yogurt substitutes, 2024
- Affordable products are popular again, ‘no additives’ has become a basic requirement
- Graph 6: repurchase factors for chilled yogurt, by unit price (per 200g or less), 2024
- Nuts, fruit and smooth textures come out top in toppings
- Graph 7: interest in yogurt topping textures, 2024
- Graph 8: interest in yogurt toppings, 2024
- Yogurt’s gut health benefits are not trusted, more ‘soft’ benefit claims are required
- Graph 9: gut health solutions, 2024
- Graph 10: packaged yogurt vs freshly made yogurt – gut health, 2024
- Issues and insights
- What we think
-
The market
- Market size and forecast
- Downward pressure continues, but the decline has slowed
- Market factors
- Slow economic recovery, intentional spending continues
- Graph 11: trading up and trading down in non-alcoholic drinks, 2024
- Graph 12: purchase plans – non-alcoholic drinks, 2021-24
- The rise of large packs aligns with intentional spending
- The boom in on-premise yogurt is a double-edged sword for packaged yogurt
- The development of snack discount stores and instant retail brings channel changes
- International and domestic sugar price rises put cost pressures on yogurt
- Market segmentation
- The ambient yogurt category continues to shrink
- Chilled yogurt’s positioning faces further challenges
- The decline in lactobacillus drinks slows, hinting at recovery
-
Companies and brands
- Market share
- National brands are more resistant to risk
- Gaps between regional brands widen
- Marketing activities
- Ambrosial partners with the Chinese diving team for the Paris Olympics, promotes frozen yogurt again
- Jianchun sponsors Singer 2024
- New product trends
- Chilled products increase their dominance, and innovation is high in spoonable yogurt
- Graph 13: drinkable and spoonable yogurt, by share of new yogurt and lactobacillus drinks, 2020-24
- Graph 14: chilled and ambient yogurt, by share of new yogurt and lactobacillus drinks, 2020-24
- Private labels are on the rise, gaining market share by the year
- Graph 15: branded vs private label products, by share of new yogurt and lactobacillus drinks, 2020-24
- The popular classics – functional and minus claims – are under pressure
- Examples of products with growing functional and minus claims
- Natural ‘free from’ claims continue to grow
- Examples of products with natural free from claims
- Smooth textures are most common, juicy and soft are growing fast
- Graph 16: top ten textures in new yogurt and lactobacillus drinks, 2020-24
- Graph 17: growing textures in new yogurt and lactobacillus drinks, 2023-24
- Fruit still dominates yogurt flavour innovation, but its share is declining
- Graph 18: top fifteen flavour elements in new yogurt and lactobacillus drinks, 2020-24
- Oriental flavour components lead growth
- Chinese flavour components paired with seasonality
-
The consumer
- Changes in yogurt consumption
- Yogurt’s penetration rate has ticked up, but little growth seen among high-frequency consumers
- Graph 19: frequency of yogurt consumption, 2024
- Graph 20: yogurt consumers, by frequency of consumption, 2023-24
- Consumers under 25 don’t consume much chilled yogurt
- Graph 21: percentage of consumers who have not consumed yogurt in the last six months, by age group, 2024
- Ambient yogurt and chilled drinkable yogurt rank top by consumers “drinking more”
- Graph 22: change in yogurt consumption, 2024
- Consumption barriers
- Taste and price remain the biggest barriers to consumption
- Graph 23: reasons for not drinking yogurt, 2024
- Plain milk remains the top yogurt replacement
- Graph 24: yogurt substitutes, 2024
- Consumers aged 30 and up prefer plain milk to replace yogurt
- Graph 25: yogurt substitutes by age group, 2024
- There is room for innovation in yogurt texture and flavour
- Graph 26: yogurt substitutes – RTD tea drinks/milk tea, by reasons for not consuming ambient/chilled yogurt, 2024
- Graph 27: yogurt substitutes –on-premise yogurt, by reasons for not consuming ambient/chilled yogurt, 2024
- Examples of thick-textured yogurt products
- Repurchase factors
- Affordable products are popular again
- Graph 28: no repurchase of chilled yogurt in that price range, by unit price, 2022 vs 2024
- High-frequency consumers repurchase more mid- to high-priced chilled yogurt
- Graph 29: no repurchase of chilled yogurt, by chilled yogurt consumption frequency, 2024
- ‘No additives’ has become a basic requirement for quality affordable products
- Graph 30: repurchase factors for chilled yogurt, by unit price (per 200g or less), 2024
- Examples of yogurt products featuring the top three repurchase factors
- Large-pack yogurts target the needs of nuclear and multi-generational families
- Graph 31: repurchase factors for chilled yogurt – under RMB5, by living situation, 2024
- Graph 32: repurchase factors for chilled yogurt − RMB5-10, by living situation, 2024
- High-frequency consumers are more concerned about naturalness at premium price points
- Graph 33: repurchase factors for chilled yogurt – above RMB10, by chilled yogurt consumption frequency, 2024
- Yogurt toppings
- Yogurts are strongly associated with toppings; nuts are the most popular
- Graph 34: interest in yogurt toppings, 2024
- Dietary supplements have potential
- Soft and smooth textures are favoured
- Graph 35: interest in yogurt topping textures, 2024
- Toppings and texture: a mix of classic and innovative
- Graph 36: interest in chilled yogurt toppings, by texture, 2024
- Offer more adventurous options for consumers who love toppings
- Graph 37: interest in toppings, by “contains mix-ins” as a repurchase factor for mid-priced chilled yogurt*, 2024
- Examples of yogurt products with chocolate toppings
- Create cereal yogurt bowls for high-frequency consumers
- Graph 38: interest in yogurt toppings, by chilled yogurt consumption frequency, 2024
- Packaged yogurt vs on-premise yogurt and probiotic supplements
- Packaged yogurt loses to on-premise yogurt in nutrition and taste
- Graph 39: packaged yogurt vs on-premise yogurt – better taste, 2024
- Graph 40: packaged yogurt vs on-premise yogurt – nutritional value, 2024
- More consumers believe that on-premise yogurt has more active probiotics
- Impression of probiotic activity affects gut health perceptions
- Graph 41: packaged yogurt vs on-premise yogurt – gut health, by perception of probiotic activity, 2024
- Packaged yogurt should focus more on ‘soft’ gut health claims
- Graph 42: gut health solutions, 2024
-
Issues and insights
- Identify more daily dietary occasions for yogurt
- Find a different nutritional positioning to white milk
- Incorporate yogurt into daily diets through breakfast or meal replacement scenarios to attract young women
- Enrich the taste and variety of toppings to counter challenges from the on-premise industry
- Packaged yogurt has lost the flavour battle, but can fight back with toppings innovation
- Revitalise classic toppings by varying their texture and format
- Breakthrough ingredients: aroma can also be an ingredient flavour
- Use ‘soft’ benefits and synergistic East-West formulations to counter the threat posed by probiotic supplements
- Consumers do not trust yogurt for ‘hard’ gut health issues
- Focus on soft gut health benefits
- Combine gut health with bone health and other claims where dairy products have an advantage
- Probiotics plus synergistic East-West  formulations improve gut health
-
Appendix – market size and forecast, methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast – yogurt
- Market segmentation – ambient yogurt
- Market segmentation – chilled yogurt
- Market segmentation – lactobacillus drinks
- Methodology
- Methodology: TURF analysis
- Abbreviations
Why Choose Mintel?
Mintel is the world’s leading market intelligence agency. We show you how consumers think today and tomorrow. As a trusted partner to industry leaders, we deliver game-changing insights to businesses across the globe, fuelling their marketing and innovation strategies that will shape the future.
Access high-quality market research with every purchase of Mintel’s consumer reports. Here’s what else is included in your report purchase:
- Multiple Report Formats: Mintel’s reports are available in PDF and PPT formats, and are delivered straight to your inbox, so you can easily share Mintel’s market intelligence.
- Access to Mintel’s Clients Portal: After your purchase is completed, you’ll receive an invitation to join Mintel’s Clients Portal, providing instant access to supplementary insights from Mintel’s industry experts.
- Interactive Databook: Mintel’s bespoke consumer data is presented as an interactive website, so you can deep dive into your chosen topic, explore demographics and download specific statistics.
- Custom Presentation Tool: Easily incorporate selected research data and analysis into a tailor-made presentation to win over clients and stakeholders.
Below is a generic PDF sample report. Understand what you are buying.
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
£ 3,695 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
