Yoghurt and Sour Milk Products in Slovakia

2021 DEVELOPMENTS

Health trends boost sales of fortified products

A strong health trend is defining the category in 2021 as products enhanced with protein or advertised as low in sugar are seeing robust demand. Danone Actimel will continue to see particular interest due to its immunity boosting properties and consumers’ fears of contracting COVID-19.

Nutri-Score labelling gains traction as government encourages consumers to make healthy and nutritious choices

Nutri-Score, a new labelling concept that more accurately illustrates whether a food product is healthy, is slowly making its way into Slovakia in 2021. Nutri-Score has already been adopted by several local companies as well as private label chains.

Lower pricing and innovative flavours encourage consumers to pick private label

With a worsening economic environment due to the pandemic, consumers are expected to increasingly favour private label products due to their reputation for value for money. Private label is also gaining recognition from its innovations in terms of flavour or added-value benefits.

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Health innovations set to be dominant trend as consumers continue to seek beneficial and nutritious products

Drinking yoghurt products are expected to resume positive retail volume and value sales in 2023 as sales normalise after the post-pandemic shift in favour of foodservice and improvements in consumer purchasing power. This will trigger a strengthening demand for convenient, on-the-go products with a strong preference for healthier options.

New range expected from Zvolensky as brand enters the immunity-boosting niche

The leading flavoured yoghurt brand Zvolensky, is expected to launch its new ProBiotic Milk Care range in the early forecast period. The company filed a trademark registration in May 2021, and it is anticipated that this line will extend the brand’s product portfolio to include probiotic dairy drinks with immunity boosting properties.

Eco-friendly packaging to increasingly become an important part of product design

Whilst the demand for health-focused products is expected to be a key trend in the next few years, the eco-friendliness of products is set to become equally important for consumers in Slovakia. As such, vegan and lactose-free products will witness strong sales growth, not just through rising health awareness and the growing number of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians in the country, but also through an increasing number of people wanting to lead sustainable lifestyles.