Cultures and yogurts

In 2017 the otherwise colourful Hungarian yogurt market got smaller. Data from manufacturers indicate that yogurt drinks and flavoured yogurts were less affected by this negative trend.

Fabrizio Sforza
market leader
Danone

Fabrizio Sforza, market leader at Danone Kft. told that fruit yogurts still constitute the biggest segment in the Hungarian market. Shoppers can now choose from 6-8 SKUs on average. When buying plain yogurt, shoppers tend to be loyal and they pick the brands that they already like.

Viktória Főfainé Kiss
brand manager
FrieslandCampina Hungária

Viktória Főfainé Kiss, brand manager (Landliebe) of FrieslandCampina Hungária ZRt. told our magazine that sales of single products increased to the detriment of multipacks. The proportion of yogurts smaller than 250g and bigger than 500g also increased in sales, while that of 251-500g products decreased. As regards sales channels, discount supermarkets managed to take away shoppers from all other channels.

Bernadett Strasser-Kátai
owner-managing director
Real Nature

Bernadett Strasser-Kátai, owner and managing director of Real Nature Kft. revealed to us that sales in promotion are still the biggest driving force in the market. The economic recession forced consumers to go shopping with a list written in advance (buying in promotion is an integral element of this type shopping trip); however, after the recession sales of premium-category products started to grow. In Ms Strasser-Kátai’s view the private label category is a bit less important than it used to be, in spite of the fact that retail chains continue to innovate in this segment too.

One of the main innovation directions is putting new, exciting flavours and flavour combinations on the market. Danone has come out with new flavours in practically all product lines recently. Under the Oikos brand name cream yogurt desserts were launched – the latest one is a salted caramel variant. Most products belong to the Activia brand: plain and fruit yogurts, yogurt drinks, and Morning Activia products with cereals. Actimel offers special flavour combinations such as pomegranate-maca-cranberry or lime-yuzu-ginger. Danone Könnyű and Finom products just got a new look.

Landliebe’s innovation work takes place in Germany. This year’s new product is 150g Landliebe mixed yogurt – this is the most popular fruit yogurt format in the market. More than 80 percent of fruit yogurt sales is realised by products smaller than 250g and the proportion of mixed yogurts is around 90 percent. In the small yogurt category Landliebe only had layered products in the market so far, plus a 500g glass jar and a 450g plastic cup mixed yogurt were available in shops. With the new product the goal is to make Landliebe available to more consumers, by marketing it in the most popular size and versions, at an affordable price.

Éva De Gereczné Rudnai
sales manager
Real Nature

Éva Gereczné Rudnai, sales manager of Real Nature Kft. spoke to Trade magazin about how they had recently launched ProXY layered fruit yogurts in the Greek yogurt category, in strawberry and lemon-ginger versions. A sour cherry variant came out in the 750g yogurt drink segment. The company’s Good Milk yogurt drink brand will put new refreshing products on the market this summer. In the Joya milk alternative product range the biggest success in 2017 was coconut milk-based yogurts; this year a chia seed variant will turn up on store shelves. Fasten products target young people, those on a weight loss diet and diabetic patients.

Sales of plant-based yogurt alternatives are growing dynamically in both value and volume. ALPRO is a key brand in this segment. Noémi Papp-Mile, brand manager of Foodnet Zrt. told our magazine that the most popular products are still fruit yogurts. Buyers who are already loyal are braver in trying ALPRO plain yogurts. Small-sized product can make more consumers try new variants – in their case the ‘out-of-pocket’ price of products is very good, too. This year’s new product is ALPRO peach. The brand is present on the shelves of hyper-and supermarkets. //