Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities, 2nd Edition

Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities, 2nd Edition

Cheese retail sales were growing steadily before the pandemic, but volume and dollar sales spiked significantly in 2020 as consumers were eating and cooking more at home. Since then, sales have remained high. In 2022, price inflation had a particularly strong effect on sales, with many consumers buying lower-priced private label cheeses to save money.

Dollar sales have benefited from price increases and premiumization as consumers bought higher-priced premium cheeses, driven by interest in natural products, those with unique flavor profiles or international origins, and the popularity of cheese boards or charcuterie boards that often feature exotic and high-end cheeses.

Snacking will continue to be an important trend supporting cheese sales. Packaged Facts’ May 2023 National Online Consumer Survey found that 52% of respondents report cheese is one of their preferred types of snack. Cheese is also frequently paired with other popular snack foods such as crackers, fresh fruits and vegetables.

With a focus on “what’s next” and current consumer trends, Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities is packed with insights about consumer trends, behavior, and motivations to help food producers, retailers, packaging companies, employers, and investors gauge consumer perspectives and find areas for growth in a competitive market.

Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities delivers actionable predictions and recommendations designed to guide producers, retailers, and investors in making business decisions by providing data and insights about consumer behavior and what consumers think about cheese.

Scope

Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities is the go-to source for a complete understanding of U.S. consumer trends regarding cheese. This report combines Packaged Facts’ extensive monitoring of the food and beverage market with proprietary surveys, and evaluates current trends and future directions for marketing and retailing, along with consumer patterns during the pandemic and inflation area and across the broader food and beverage market.

This Packaged Facts report analyzes the dynamics of the current landscape of the natural cheese retail market. Consumer demographics, perceptions, motivations, attitudes, and behavior pertaining to food, diet, health, sustainability, and product packaging are taken into account; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers are also analyzed in a broad sense, as well as in the context of cheese.

This report covers retail sales of dairy cheese in both value (US dollars) and volume (pounds). Dairy cheese is made with milk from cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, and other mammals. Cheese value and volume sales are both segmented by the following product forms:

• Chunks
• Cream & Neufchâtel
• Crumbled
• Cubes
• Refrigerated Grated
• Ricotta
• Shelf-stable Grated
• Shredded
• Slices
• String/Stick
• All other forms

Retail sales in this report are defined as sales of cheese from venues such as:

• Grocery stores, supermarkets, and discount grocers (e.g., Kroger, Safeway, ALDI)
• Mass merchandisers (e.g., Walmart, Target, Meijer) and warehouse clubs (e.g., Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s)
• Convenience stores (e.g., Pilot/Flying J, Circle K, 7-Eleven) and dollar stores (e.g., Dollar General, Family Dollar)
• Other retailers, such specialty cheese shops, co-ops, farmers markets, and cheese clubs/curators
• All online outlets, including online-based grocers (e.g., Amazon, Thrive Market, FreshDirect), third-party pack-and-deliver companies that use their own workforces to purchase groceries at various stores and deliver them to customers (e.g., Instacart), brands that sell their own food products direct-to-consumer via their websites, and online sales from websites or apps of retailers in the previous categories

Additionally, this report provides estimates of dairy product shipments. Dairy product shipments in nominal and real dollars are segmented by product:

• Butter
• Cheese
• Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Products
• Fluid Milk
• Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts

Cheese production in pounds is also provided and segmented by product category:

• American
• Cream and Neufchâtel
• Italian
• Other

The report has dozens of tables showcasing numerical survey data on consumer demographics and psychographics and numerous marketing photographs. This report goes in-depth on COVID-19 and inflation trends that have affected the food and beverage market.

Historical value and volume numbers for the retail cheese market are provided from 2017 through 2022. Expected sales are provided for 2023, and market forecasts are provided from 2024 through 2028.

Additionally, dairy product shipments are provided from 2018 to 2022, with expected shipments provided for 2023 and projected shipments for 2028 and 2033.

Cheese production numbers are also provided for 2018 through 2022, expected production is provided for 2023, and forecasts are provided for 2028 and 2033.

The reasons for and implications of shifts in consumer perception and behavior are analyzed in the context of future market opportunities.

Additionally, Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities has dozens of tables highlighting numerical survey data on household product usage and consumer demographics and psychographics as well as numerous marketing photographs. This report goes in-depth on COVID-19 and inflation trends that have affected the food and beverage market.

Report Methodology

The information contained in Cheese: US Market Trends & Opportunities was developed from primary and secondary research sources. Primary research includes interviews with food and beverage market experts; participation in and attendance at food industry events; and extensive internet canvassing.

Primary research also includes national online consumer polls of U.S. adult consumers (age 18+) conducted on an ongoing basis by Packaged Facts to analyze attitudes of consumers and their relevant food and beverage preferences.

Survey data from MRI-Simmons are used to analyze the demographics and psychographics of consumers and household cheese usage trends.

Supplementing Packaged Facts’ exclusive surveys are analysis of the 2022 and 2023 Food & Health Surveys conducted by the International Food Information Council, which analyze consumer food purchase decisions, diet and lifestyle choices, snacking activity, and perception of health benefits in foods. Show more