The liquid or drinking yoghurt sector has gone crazy in the past six months as time-pressed consumers start to see such products as an easy way to get their daily nutrients all in one go
Fashionably speaking, yoghurt drinks are the new yoghurt. The liquid sector has gone crazy over the past six months, with new products from Müller and Nestlé, as well as brands from outside the category, such as Flora Pro-activ and Benecol.
Gerry Roads, marketing director at Yoplait Dairy Crest, says people weren’t keen on the idea five years ago, but attitudes have changed. “We’ve pushed Yop at mums; teenagers don’t always eat breakfast, but recognise Yop as a good way to start the day.”
As the overall image of yoghurt drinks has moved away from something gloopy to more healthy, shoppers have embraced the idea, says Steve Dixon, Nisachill/freeze’s buying controller. He adds that consumers buy drinking yoghurt as a quick fix and choose a traditional pot for a more formal eating occasion.
As a result, penetration of drinks continues to rise. It’s set to top 40% this year as heavy promotional spend attracts shoppers into what was once a niche market. Danone
leads the £199m category [ACNielsen 52 w/e December 25, 2004] with a 46.1% market share, followed by Yakult with 15.5% and Müller with 14.6%.
Laura Kingsman, Musgrave Budgens-Londis’ trading manager, says consumers like the fact that these products give them their daily nutrients all in one go. Danone’s commercial director, Adam Grant, says: “People who used not to buy active health drinks are coming into the category. There has been a lot of TV ads and innovation, as well as visibility in-store - retailers understand the potential.”
Yoghurt drinks’ health benefits are being further extended with the launch of Nestlé Sveltesse Optimise, a probiotic dairy breakfast drink designed to help maximise fat metabolism through calcium.
But aren’t all these launches confusing shoppers? Sveltesse brand manager Lesley Watt doesn’t think so. She says consumers see a small bottle as shorthand for a probiotic, and larger bottles as drinks.
But Musgrave’s Kingsman disagrees: “There is confusion; take Müllerlight and Müller Vitality drinks, which sound similar but offer a different proposition. Manufacturers could help with clearer labelling and guidance.”
Müller MD Andrew Harrison says that while primary consumers are young women, the potential to expand to men and kids is huge. “The category’s still a bit quirky. We hope it will become part of everyday life, as people are drinking less liquid milk.”
Mums in particular are taking note. Nestlé’s Munch Bunch Drinky+, aimed at the under-fives, has a 3% share and is growing at 189% year-on-year [ACNielsen 52 w/e December 25, 2004].
Fashionably speaking, yoghurt drinks are the new yoghurt. The liquid sector has gone crazy over the past six months, with new products from Müller and Nestlé, as well as brands from outside the category, such as Flora Pro-activ and Benecol.
Gerry Roads, marketing director at Yoplait Dairy Crest, says people weren’t keen on the idea five years ago, but attitudes have changed. “We’ve pushed Yop at mums; teenagers don’t always eat breakfast, but recognise Yop as a good way to start the day.”
As the overall image of yoghurt drinks has moved away from something gloopy to more healthy, shoppers have embraced the idea, says Steve Dixon, Nisachill/freeze’s buying controller. He adds that consumers buy drinking yoghurt as a quick fix and choose a traditional pot for a more formal eating occasion.
As a result, penetration of drinks continues to rise. It’s set to top 40% this year as heavy promotional spend attracts shoppers into what was once a niche market. Danone
leads the £199m category [ACNielsen 52 w/e December 25, 2004] with a 46.1% market share, followed by Yakult with 15.5% and Müller with 14.6%.
Laura Kingsman, Musgrave Budgens-Londis’ trading manager, says consumers like the fact that these products give them their daily nutrients all in one go. Danone’s commercial director, Adam Grant, says: “People who used not to buy active health drinks are coming into the category. There has been a lot of TV ads and innovation, as well as visibility in-store - retailers understand the potential.”
Yoghurt drinks’ health benefits are being further extended with the launch of Nestlé Sveltesse Optimise, a probiotic dairy breakfast drink designed to help maximise fat metabolism through calcium.
But aren’t all these launches confusing shoppers? Sveltesse brand manager Lesley Watt doesn’t think so. She says consumers see a small bottle as shorthand for a probiotic, and larger bottles as drinks.
But Musgrave’s Kingsman disagrees: “There is confusion; take Müllerlight and Müller Vitality drinks, which sound similar but offer a different proposition. Manufacturers could help with clearer labelling and guidance.”
Müller MD Andrew Harrison says that while primary consumers are young women, the potential to expand to men and kids is huge. “The category’s still a bit quirky. We hope it will become part of everyday life, as people are drinking less liquid milk.”
Mums in particular are taking note. Nestlé’s Munch Bunch Drinky+, aimed at the under-fives, has a 3% share and is growing at 189% year-on-year [ACNielsen 52 w/e December 25, 2004].
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