The grocery channel has always been competitive, but today's economic environment is changing how and where shoppers spend. Recent McKinsey research found that rising prices remain consumers' top concern, and that concern continues to grow. At the same time, NIQ reports that more grocery trips are shifting to value-focused formats. For grocers, that makes capturing incremental trips and building bigger baskets more important than ever.
Dairy milk can help.
Baskets that include milk average $88.79, nearly twice the $46.23 average for baskets without it.1
With 92% of households purchasing milk throughout the year, the category has broad, built-in reach in the grocery routine.2
The opportunity is to build on that strength. An assortment that reflects shopper expectations, connects milk to occasions in the cart and stays relevant across seasonal fluctuations can help increase the value milk brings to the trip.
Continue reading to learn how dairy milk can help retailers grow with insights from MILKSCAPE™, MilkPEP's thought leadership destination for driving milk sales.
1. Build an assortment that reflects shoppers' evolving needs
As shopper expectations change, the dairy milk case must keep pace. Building assortment around real demand rather than legacy space will keep shoppers coming back.
Traditional White dairy milk remains the foundation, with 81% of shoppers purchasing it, while a 9.3% dollar growth in Value-Added* segments show there is milk for every liking.3,4
Protein is also reshaping how shoppers view the dairy case. At roughly $0.22 per eight-ounce serving, Traditional milk already offers an affordable, high-quality protein source, and Ultra-Filtered milks push that even further.5
The opportunity is to protect Traditional White milk's strength while creating space for higher-growth segments like Organic, Lactose-Free and Enhanced milks.
Making room for dairy milk doesn't have to come at the expense of other beverage segments. A more relevant assortment can grow the broader category.
A recent regional grocer study shows what this can look like. Adding one more door of dairy milk while removing duplication within plant-based beverage assortment drove an 8% increase in dairy milk dollar sales and even grew plant-based beverage sales by 2%.6
2. Connect milk to more occasions in shoppers' everyday lives
Milk is part of routines and occasions that stretch well beyond the dairy aisle. Breakfast is the leading occasion for milk, while cooking, baking and snacking create further opportunities to connect milk with what's already in the cart.7
White milk is nearly three times more likely to appear in baskets with top breakfast items like cold cereal, eggs and waffles.8 It also adds a protein boost to coffee, tea, smoothies and protein shakes. When it comes to snack time, half of adults say milk pairs well.9
Cross-merchandising can turn those connections into bigger baskets by promoting milk with breakfast staples, positioning it alongside snacks or bringing it into meal-solution and baking displays.
The goal is to connect the category to more of the other aisles where shoppers are also shopping.
3. Activate milk demand throughout the year
Shopper needs change with the seasons, and different milk products naturally align with those shifts.
In the first quarter, wellness routines create demand for nutrient-dense, lower-fat milks. As warmer weather arrives, single-serve formats meet the demand for summertime convenience and hydration. Back-to-school adds another moment as breakfast routines resume, and lunchboxes call for a reliable staple.
Cooking, baking and indulgence take over during the fall and winter holidays, with higher-fat milks, flavored milk, buttermilk and eggnog reaching seasonal peaks.
The key is aligning the right products with the moments and uses when shoppers need them. "Shoppers are looking for versatile, nutritious products that fit their budgets and lifestyles," says Kikke Riedel, senior vice president of strategy and insights at MilkPEP. "Milk is part of those moments, from breakfast to holiday baking, and the opportunity for retailers is to help shoppers find the milk that fits and connect it to the rest of the trip."
Make milk work harder to drive basket growth
Dairy milk already has the qualities grocers want: the ability to drive larger baskets, unmatched shopper value, broad reach and everyday relevance.
The opportunity is to build on that strength. An assortment that reflects evolving needs, connects to occasions in the cart and stays relevant year-round helps milk play a bigger role in every trip.
At a time when shoppers are watching every dollar and grocers are under pressure to deliver value, dairy milk can help do both. It can give shoppers an affordable, trusted choice while helping grocers capture more trips, build bigger baskets and regain market share.
*Value-Added segments include Organic, Lactose-Free and Enhanced milks (e.g., protein, A2, grass-fed, Omega-3s, pre-probiotic, etc.)
Sources:
1) Circana Panel, Total U.S. All Outlets, Custom Milk, In/Out Basket Dollars Per Trip, L52 WE 05/17/2026. 2) Circana Panel, Total U.S. All Outlets, Custom Milk, Household Penetration, L52 WE 5/17/2026. 3) Circana Panel, Total U.S. All Outlets, Traditional White Milk, % HH Buying, Traditional White Milk, L52 WE 07/12/2026. 4) Circana, MULO+ with Convenience, Total Value-Added Milk, Dollar Sales % v. YA, L52 WE 07/12/2026. 5) Circana, MULO+, Traditional White Gallon, Weighted Average Base Price, L52 WE 05/17/2026. 6) Circana Unify, Regional Grocery Retailer (Masked), Average Items Per Store Selling and Dollar Sales, L26 WE 10/5/2025. 7) MilkPEP Milk Consumption Tracker Q1 2026 – conducted by Radius. 8) Circana, Total U.S. All Outlets, Product Affinity Report, White Milk, L52 WE 5/17/2026. 9) MilkPEP Attitude Tracker Q1 2026, conducted by Radius.
