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CHEESE BTy Nerine Zoio. he cheese market increased by 11.4 per cent in the latest MAT (to 21/6/20), with growth accelerating following the outbreak of Covid-19 in Australia, Saputo Dairy Australia General Manager Marketing Mike Murray tells Retail World. Consumers initially stocked up on cheese, then, with restrictions on eating out, they cooked more at home, and when lockdown was eased, made use of specialty cheese for socialising (source: IRI Grocery Scan). “Overall, during the Covid-19 lockdown period, dairy cheese consumption increased as shoppers were forced to eat at home more as restaurants and bars were shut for dine-in,” Mr Murray said. “This led to shoppers cooking more at home and consequently there’ve been elevated sales levels over this time of items such as shredded cheese, cooking blocks and specialty cooking cheeses such as feta, parmesan and halloumi. “The growth did slow once initial restrictions eased, but remained strong as consumers were still not eating out as much as pre-pandemic. “Easing of restrictions as different states came out of lockdown saw a significant increase in the purchasing of entertaining cheeses as consumers started to get back together with friends and family.” Mr Murray emphasises that regardless of crises, dairy cheese is one of the highest household penetration categories in supermarkets. Of Australian households surveyed, 98.1 per cent bought dairy cheese (IRI National Panel, MAT to week ending 21/6/20). “It’s clear that although consumer purchasing has been impacted by Covid-19 and recessionary times, essential household staples like cheese remain a priority,” Mr Murray said. He says convenient cheese formats performed strongly before the pandemic, with snacking, shredded and natural slices all attracting strong growth. He adds that over the first two months of the lockdown period, independent channels enjoyed a greater uplift in cheese sales as “shoppers appeared to favour shopping locally rather than travelling further to a Coles or Woolworths”. Valley highs, lactose free gains Mr Murray says Saputo’s Mersey Valley cheese has gone from strength to strength in the past year, growing its consumer base in its core range of 180g and 235g pack sizes as well as bringing in new consumers with the introduction of the convenient smaller option in 80g. “Also, we’ve expanded the Liddells Lactose Free dairy cheese range with two exciting additions: Liddells Tasty Slices 250g and Liddells Shredded Parmesan 125g,” he said. Other Liddells Lactose Free cheese products available are Shredded Cheese 250g, Shredded Pizza Blend 250g, Colby Slices 250g, Block Cheese 250g and Cream Cheese 250g, “which are capturing new shoppers”. “The range allows consumers to enjoy the delicious flavour and nutritional benefits of real dairy, avoiding any tummy troubles caused by lactose,” Mr Murray said. Inspiration hits home Consumers are seeking recipe and food inspiration as they remain at home and cook more frequently, Mr Murray says. “While cooking ideas and simple meals are trending in supermarket catalogues, taste continues to be a key driver even when consumers are looking for shortcuts to meals,” he said. “Others who have more time on their hands are experimenting across different cuisines in addition to baking trends.” He adds that before the pandemic key trends influencing the category were snacking, which continues to permeate most categories, with cheese being no exception as consumers increasingly “graze” throughout the day, and flexitarianism as they look to reduce meat intake in favour of alternative protein sources such as cheese. “There’s been strong growth in halloumi in the last few years as consumers see it as a centre of plate protein source,” Mr Murray said. He adds that cheese is currently underutilised as a snack, “which represents a significant opportunity for consumers to increase their dairy intake”. Mr Murray says plant-based cheese is a strongly growing segment, although it remains niche relative to dairy- based cheeses. “We don’t see it as a threat as it’s driving growth in the category and supports the consumer trend of consumers increasingly looking for plant-based alternatives,” he said. “We see that often consumers don’t buy dairy or non-dairy exclusively, so the two can happily co-exist.” 48 RETAIL WORLD OCT, 2020