The US Yogurt and Yogurt Drinks market is on a growth trajectory, fueled by consumer interest in health benefits and convenience. Brands that emphasize nutritional value and innovative flavors are well-positioned to thrive in this evolving market landscape.
US Yogurt and Yogurt Drinks Market – Current Landscape
Yogurt remains a staple in US households, with over 80% of consumers reporting purchase in the past three months. The US yogurt market is primarily anchored by spoonable varieties, yet there is a rising interest in yogurt drinks and alternative options, particularly among younger consumers. This category benefits from yogurt’s perceived health advantages, such as its protein content, and its versatility for various occasions.
While flavor is the leading factor in purchase decisions, combining taste with health benefits and convenience will be crucial for meeting consumer needs. In a category already flooded with options, brands must tread carefully in innovation to ensure their products can stand out in a competitive landscape. Innovations that emphasize clean ingredients, indulgent flavors, and convenience are likely to achieve the greatest success.
US Yogurt and Yogurt Drinks Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analyzed in the Report
- Reported consumption of yogurt products, including dairy, non-dairy, and drinks
- Reported consumption of yogurt styles (eg, regular, Greek, French)
- Formats of spoonable yogurt typically purchased
- Frequency of spoonable yogurt and yogurt drink consumption
- Factors influencing yogurt purchase
- Yogurt consumption occasions
- Attitudes toward yogurt and yogurt drinks
- Trends in launch activity for yogurt and yogurt drinks, and opportunities for further innovation
Report Scope
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
- Spoonable yogurt/tubes/pouches is defined as yogurt sold in cups or tubes, and includes specific yogurt styles such as Greek, Icelandic, and non-dairy.
- Yogurt drinks are defined as products in a liquid, drinkable form, including yogurt “smoothies,” kefir, and lassi.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Julia Mills. Julia joined Mintel as a Food & Drink Analyst in 2023 after spending two years working in the Food & CPG industry. Prior to Mintel, she analyzed trends & insights in both the food distribution and market research space. She holds a BA in Food & Consumer Package Goods Marketing from Western Michigan University.
Yogurt’s health halo and convenience sustain demand in US homes. Emphasizing its inherent nutrition, versatility, and flavor will culture growth across occasions.
Julia Mills
Food & Drink Analyst
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Sales growth expected in yogurt and yogurt drinks
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Don’t sleep on opportunities to bring yogurt into savory snacking
- Enhance yogurt with textures for a guilt-free indulgence
- Sensorial textures, such as crunchy and creamy, blur lines between yogurt and dessert
- Draw inspiration from popular dessert flavors and ingredients
- Graph 1: interest in flavors and ingredients in desserts and confections, 2024
- Soften protein messaging by emphasizing its benefits beyond energy: graceful aging, satiety, gut health
- Utilize yogurt’s natural electrolytes to help consumers beat the heat in rising temperatures
- Embrace the “culture” in cultured products
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Key factors affecting yogurt
- Private labels elevate their game in yogurt launches
- Graph 2: spoonable yogurt launches, by share of brand/private label, 2019-24
- Store brands go bold with flavor, health benefits and sustainability
- Full-fat dairy gains attention for its rich flavor, texture, & nutrition
- Graph 3: types of dairy milk purchased, by generation, 2024
- Hesitancy persists for yogurts made with plant-based ingredients and novel technology
- Expansion in sports and performance beverages could pave the way for yogurt drinks
- Graph 4: types of sports and performance drinks consumed, 2022 & 2024
- In the era of weight-loss drugs, yogurt finds new opportunities
- Sales of yogurt companies reshape the competitive landscape
- Market size and forecast
- Yogurt and yogurt drinks maintain their status as household staples
- Sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks are on an upward trajectory
- Projected growth of yogurt and yogurt drinks market to reach $14.8bn by 2029
- Market segmentation
- Sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks anticipated to sustain growth
- Graph 5: total retail sales and forecast of yogurt and yogurt drinks, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- Spoonable yogurt and yogurt drinks each projected to expand
- Market share/brand share
- Trusted reputation, value, and health-conscious recipes fuel yogurt companies
- Graph 6: market share of yogurt and yogurt drink brands, 2024
- Yogurt and yogurt drink companies see a collective 6.6% in sales growth
- Brands that go big with nutrition benefits or simple with ingredients see sales growth
- Graph 7: market share of spoonable yogurt, tubes, and pouches brands, 2024
- Chobani, Lactalis, and private label experience highest sales growth
- Keep an eye on: kid-positioned yogurts
- Keep an eye on: dairy-free yogurts
- Yogurt drink success lies in the balancing act of simple ingredients and boosted nutrition
- Graph 8: market share of yogurt drinks by brand, 2024
- Chobani and Lifeway lead the way in sales growth
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Types of yogurt products purchased
- What you need to know:
- Health and convenience microtrends drive stable demand for yogurt
- Graph 9: types of yogurt products purchased, 2023-24
- Yogurt consumers remain loyal to traditional varieties…
- Spoonable dairy remains the leader
- Graph 10: types of yogurt products purchased, 2024
- Encourage older consumers to explore the benefits of various yogurt types
- Graph 11: types of yogurt products purchased, by generation, 2024
- Yogurt may not be an essential when money is tight
- Graph 12: types of yogurt products purchased, by financial situation, 2024
- Parents continue to represent one of yogurt’s largest demographics
- Graph 13: types of yogurt products purchased, by parental status, 2024
- Styles of yogurt purchased
- What you need to know:
- Regular and Greek styles win yogurt’s popularity contest
- Graph 14: yogurt styles purchased, 2024
- Younger consumers value diversity in yogurt styles
- Graph 15: yogurt styles purchased, by generation, 2024
- Male consumers show willingness to explore alternative yogurt styles
- Graph 16: yogurt styles purchased, by gender, 2024
- Financially struggling consumers stick to the basics
- Graph 17: yogurt styles purchased, by financial situation, 2024
- Types of spoonable yogurts purchased
- What you need to know:
- Encourage consumers to explore diverse spoonable options to fill different needs
- Graph 18: spoonable yogurt varieties typically purchased, 2024
- Gen Z and Millennials show greater flexibility in spoonable yogurt preferences
- Graph 19: spoonable yogurt varieties typically purchased, by generation, 2024
- Highlight plain and tub yogurt’s versatility for budget-conscious consumers
- Graph 20: spoonable yogurt varieties typically purchased, by financial situation, 2024
- Frequency of spoonable yogurt consumption
- What you need to know:
- Spoonable yogurt consumption is robust, but opportunities exist to boost further use
- Graph 21: frequency of spoonable yogurt consumption, 2024
- Encourage incorporation of yogurt into daily routines
- Graph 22: performance comparison of Activia Strawberry and Peach Low Fat Yogurt and all other spoonable yogurts, 2017-24
- Younger consumers have a more habitual relationship with yogurt
- Graph 23: frequency of spoonable yogurt consumption, by generation, 2024
- One in four men aged 18-34 who eat yogurt do it daily
- Graph 24: daily consumption of spoonable yogurt, by age & gender, 2024
- Graph 25: high protein content as a factor of importance in food shopping, by gender & age*, 2024
- Show that yogurt can be an affordable daily source of customizable protein and nutrition
- Graph 26: frequency of spoonable yogurt consumption, by financial situation, 2024
- Frequency of yogurt drink consumption
- What you need to know:
- Yogurt drinks face challenges in being seen as daily essentials
- Graph 27: frequency of yogurt drink consumption, 2024
- Younger consumers will be key in boosting yogurt drink consumption
- Graph 28: frequency of yogurt drink consumption, by generation, 2024
- Yogurt drinks are highly compatible with hybrid work arrangements
- Graph 29: frequency of yogurt drink consumption, by work from home status, 2024
- Factors influencing yogurt and yogurt drink choice
- What you need to know:
- Balance yogurt’s flavor and nutrition to address consumers’ diverse priorities
- Flavor is number 1 in purchase factors
- Graph 30: factors influencing yogurt and yogurt drink choice, 2024
- Younger consumers consider a more balanced array of factors in yogurt choice
- Graph 31: factors of influence in yogurt and yogurt drink choice, by generation, 2024
- Functionality is priority for budget-constrained consumers
- Graph 32: factors of influence in yogurt and yogurt drink choice, by financial situation, 2024.
- Yogurt consumption occasions
- What you need to know:
- Consumers have narrow perceptions of yogurt’s versatility across different occasions
- Graph 33: consumption occasions by yogurt format, 2024
- Younger consumers tend to use spoonable yogurt beyond traditional applications
- Graph 34: multi-serve spoonable consumption occasions, by age, 2024
- Graph 35: single-serve spoonable consumption occasions, by age, 2024
- Engaged parent consumers look to yogurt to fill more diverse needs
- Graph 36: multi-serve spoonable consumption occasions, by parental status, 2024
- Graph 37: single-serve spoonable consumption occasions, by parental status, 2024
- Male consumers choose yogurt drinks for protein, while female consumers opt for snacking
- Graph 38: yogurt drink consumption occasions, by gender, 2024
- Yogurt and yogurt drink attitudes
- What you need to know:
- Almost half of yogurt consumers deem yogurt essential for a healthy diet
- Consumers don’t want to skip out on innovation and indulgence
- Graph 39: yogurt and yogurt drink attitudes, 2024
- Younger consumers want fun; older ones seek the basics
- Graph 40: yogurt and yogurt drink attitudes, by generation, 2024
- Budget-conscious consumers can benefit from yogurt’s versatility
- Graph 41: yogurt and yogurt drink attitudes, by financial situation, 2024
- Male consumers show more interest in portable, functional, and non-dairy yogurts
- Graph 42: yogurt and yogurt drink attitudes, by gender, 2024.
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Innovation and Marketing strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Innovation takes diverging roads: from stripped down formulas to…
- …indulgent, dessert-inspired creations
- Mixing indulgence and health may be a balancing act worth the effort
- Graph 43: [no title]
- Non-dairy yogurt launches face declines as persistent hesitation hinders acceptance
- Graph 44: launches of dairy and plant-based yogurt, 2019-24
- Kid-positioned yogurts fall behind in health perceptions, but…
- Graph 45: [no title]
- …clearly labeled health benefits and free-from claims establish trust in kid-positioned yogurts
- Marketing and advertising
- Brands embrace the savory side of yogurt
- Consumers become the creators
- Chobani’s Cafe: a hub for yogurt experimentation and creativity
- Stonyfield encourages mental health in a season of political change
- Ethics and sustainability bolster trust in yogurt brands
- Icelandic Provisions takes an alternative approach to non-dairy yogurt marketing
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Market size methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- The market
- Total retail sales and forecast of yogurt and yogurt drinks, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Average annual household spending on yogurt and yogurt drinks
- Total retail sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks, by segment
- Total retail sales and forecast of spoonable yogurt/tubes/pouches, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of spoonable yogurt/tubes/pouches, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Value, average price and volume of multi-outlet spoonable yogurt/tubes/pouches sales
- Total retail sales and forecast of yogurt drinks, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of yogurt drinks, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Value, average price and volume of yogurt drink sales
- Total retail sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks, by channel
- Total retail sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks, by channel, at current prices, 2022 and 2024
- Supermarket sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks, at current prices
- Sales of yogurt and yogurt drinks through other retail channels
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