According to data reported by Dairy Management Inc., (DMI) the national dairy checkoff, national retail dairy sales from late March through late May, are nearly 24 percent higher than one year ago. The following chart shows national sales during the different purchasing phases of the pandemic — pre-COVID, peak and post-peak:

During that same time period, DMI data reports that overall grocery sales are only up by 14 percent, showing that dairy sales outpace total grocery sales as consumers turn to traditional nutritional foods during times of uncertainty.

This chart shows retail volume for cheese, milk, yogurt and ice cream is increasing year-to-date because consumers are eating at home more:

In New York during the same timeframe, ADA North East’s retail team continued helping grocery stores fill dairy cases with milk, cheese and yogurt because consumers’ demand for dairy remains consistently high. To date, we have visited nearly 130 stores in New York and have helped stock:

  • Milk: 72,170 units
  • Cheese: 8,252 units
  • Yogurt: 11,494 units
  • Total: 91,916 units