Multi-buys drive up milk volumes and spend

Consumers spent 3% more on milk in the 52 weeks to 10 November, compared to the previous year, driven by multi-buy offers at supermarkets.

According to data from Kantar, volume sales increased by 1.8%, to 5.25bn litres.

“Small average price increases in many sectors resulted in value growth of 3% over the year, to £3.27bn,” said a DairyCo report.

Pasteurised milk continued to take the greatest market share of 86% by volume and 82% by value. Filtered milk sales fell by 1% on the year, to make up 6% of the market. “A significant increase in the average price partially offset the fall in value terms, though this may have contributed to the fall in buyers,” said the report.

UHT volume sales fell by 9%, although sharply higher prices meant the value of those sales only declined by 2%. “All the significant retailers of UHT milk lost buyers except for the hard discounters.”

Doorstep sales – at 186m litres – accounted for 3.5% of the total volume of milk sold, and 7.3% of its value; both of which were lower than last year.