Yeo Valley and Rachel's hit as Waitrose resets yoghurts aisle

Waitrose has extended its range reset into its yoghurt chillers, with Yeo Valley among the biggest victims of a cull that has seen more than 90 SKUs delisted.

A total of 12 yoghurt SKUs were delisted by the retailer at the end of August, according to research by The Grocer using Brand View and Waitrose website data. A further 79 lines were pulled during the past three weeks. Of the yoghurts delisted, 10 products were own label.

Yeo Valley has been the biggest loser from the reset, with 19 products from a total of 46 (representing 46% of its range) removed from Waitrose shelves in recent weeks, followed by Lactalis McLelland’s Rachel’s Organic, which has lost 12 out of 28 products, and Onken, which lost six out of 16 products.  

Other brands to lose listings include Müller, which lost four lines, Danone’s Activia, which lost three, and dairy alternative brand the Coconut Collaborative, which also lost three. But unlike Waitrose’s recent reset of its cheese aisle, no new products appear to have replaced the outgoing SKUs yet. 

Waitrose declined to comment specifically, apart from confirming it was carrying out “a number of range reviews, including yoghurt”.

However, a spokeswoman said the wider reset - which has already seen Waitrose’s cheese and bread offerings rationalised - represented a bid to “remove duplication”, while also stressing the process had been undertaken with “a fair, open and honest approach” to suppliers.

The retailer has also axed a number of products in its ready meal range, with John West the hardest hit, losing all five products as part of a cull that has seen 46 SKUs delisted in recent weeks.

Other ready meal brands such as Charlie Bigham’s, Cauldron, Tilda and VeeTee have also lost listings. However, Waitrose stressed these were the result of preparations for the winter months.

“This is normal seasonal change over the last few weeks as we take out some products to prepare for winter lines,” a spokeswoman said.

It is also understood John West lost its listings due to a conflict with Waitrose’s sustainability standards.