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Milk

Total U.S. milk consumption has been on a slow but steady decline for many years. But, the double-digit dollar sales declines reflected here are due almost entirely to last year's collapse in wholesale dairy prices, after farm-gate prices reached record highs the prior year, in 2008. Unit sales figures indicate that consumption has been flat for the past 18 months, with supermarket channel volume

Total U.S. milk consumption has been on a slow but steady decline for many years. But, the double-digit dollar sales declines reflected here are due almost entirely to last year's collapse in wholesale dairy prices, after farm-gate prices reached record highs the prior year, in 2008.

Unit sales figures indicate that consumption has been flat for the past 18 months, with supermarket channel volume dropping 0.3% in calendar 2009, and by 1.4% during the latest 52 weeks ending June 13.

Whole milk once again bore the brunt, with unit sales were down more than 6%. Due to declining prices, that drop translated into a 15.6% slide in dollar sales for the subcategory. Skim and lowfat milk fared better, with volume down less than 1%. And, unit sales growth continued for milkshakes, kefir/soymilk and flavored milks/eggnog/buttermilk.

52 WEEKS ENDING JUNE 13, 2010 DOLLAR SALES % CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR
Supermarkets $10.1B -10.2
Drug $411.0M -10.5
F/D/Mx $10.8B -10.0
CALENDAR YEAR 2007 2008 2009
DOLLAR SALES
Supermarkets $11.7B $12.0B $10.2B
Drug $497.9M $510.2M $405.0M
F/D/Mx $12.4B $12.8B $10.8B

SUBCATEGORIES

52 WEEKS ENDING JUNE 13, 2010 DOLLAR SALES % CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR
Rfg Flavored Milk/Eggnog/Buttermilk $694.2M -2.2
Rfg Kefir/Milk Substitutes/Soymilk $495.0M 4.3
Rfg Milkshakes/Non-Dairy Drinks $54.7M 0.8
Rfg Skim/Lowfat Milk $6.4B -9.9
Rfg Whole Milk $2.4B -15.6