Refrigerated Coffee Creamers: U.S. Market Trends


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Refrigerated Coffee Creamers: U.S. Market Trends

The refrigerated coffee creamers market is once again rising to the top after years of stagnant growth. Among the prominent factors bolstering sales are newer-generation products that meet the “clean label” criteria for ingredients: fewer, simpler, and pronounceable. Some of these products also offer other features and claims associated with clean labels, such as organic, allergen-free, non-GMO, and vegan. Recent year-to-year sales increases for existing products are testament to the vitality of this burgeoning niche, and marketers’ confidence in its continued growth is evidenced by their investment in new products.

Packaged Facts’ report Refrigerated Coffee Creamers: U.S. Market Trends focuses on the dynamic market for refrigerated coffee creamers, particularly with respect to the impact of current product, marketing, and consumer trends. Also discussed in the context of this market are sales and usage trends in the shelf-stable coffee creamer segment. For further perspective, Packaged Facts examines dairy beverage trends. The report offers growth projections for refrigerated coffee creamers and features the results of an exclusive Packaged Facts national online consumer survey of coffee drinkers’ tendencies, preferences, and purchase influences when it comes to creamer products. Included are more than one dozen detailed demographic profiles of coffee and creamer consumers.

Scope and Methodology

This report covers current trends in the U.S. market for coffee creamer products sold through all types of retail outlets, including supermarkets, discount stores and supercenters, warehouse clubs, and mass merchandisers, as well as convenience stores, drugstores, health and natural food stores, grocery stores, and farms and farmers markets.

Products Covered

The commercial/packaged coffee creamers market is composed of two segments: refrigerated liquid creamers and shelf-stable creamers. The focus of this report is the larger and more dynamic refrigerated segment. Shelf-stable coffee creamers are analyzed primarily in the context of overall market and competitive trends. Also addressed are trends in consumer usage of ready-to-drink refrigerated dairy and dairy alternative beverages in coffee.

Data Sources

The three main sources of data for this report are IRI sales-tracking data, Packaged Facts online consumer survey data, and Simmons Market Research national consumer survey data.




  • Executive Summary
    • Report Scope
      • Products Covered
    • Research Methodology
      • Data Sources
      • Other Data Sources
    • Market Trends and Opportunities
      • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamer Products, 2011-2015 (millions of dollars, percent change)
      • Market Growth
        • Table Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamer Products, 2015-2020 (millions of dollars, percent change)
    • The Marketers
    • Marketing and New Product Trends
    • The Consumer
      • Table Usage of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes, 2015 (percent of U.S. households)
  • Market Trends and Opportunities
    • Key Points
    • Report Scope
      • Products Covered
      • Product Definitions
    • Research Methodology
      • Primary Sources
      • Other Data Sources
    • Market Size
      • Overall Market for Refrigerated Coffee Creamer Products Approaches $2.5 Billion
        • Table U.S. Retail Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamer Products, 2011-2015 (millions of dollars, percent change)
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamers, 2014-2015
      • Refrigerated vs. Shelf-Stable Coffee Creamers
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Shelf-Stable Coffee Creamers, 2014-2015
      • Refrigerated Half & Half and Dairy Cream
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Refrigerated Dairy Half & Half, 2014-2015
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Refrigerated Dairy Cream, 2014-2015
    • Overall Consumption Trends
      • Household Usage of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Steady, Heavy Usage at Five-Year High
        • Table Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Usage Trends, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
        • Table Containers of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used in Last 30 Days, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
      • One-Quarter of Households Use Half & Half
        • Table Household Usage of Half & Half, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
      • Meanwhile, A Dip in Coffee Consumption
        • Table Packaged and Ready-to-Drink Coffee Usage Trends, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
    • Market Trends
      • Clean Labels Gain Traction
      • Many Consumers Use Milk Beverages Rather Than Creamers in Coffee
      • Price Is Top Factor in Choosing a Creamer, Followed by Flavor
      • Many Coffee Drinkers Don't Like How Creamers Taste
        • Table Reasons for Not Buying Commercial/Packaged Coffee Creamers, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
      • Millennials, African Americans, and Hispanics Show Highest Usage Rates
    • Market Growth
      • Market Projected to Reach $2.9 Billion by 2020
        • Table Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamer Products, 2015-2020 (millions of dollars, percent change)
      • Product Innovation Will Drive the Market
  • The Marketers
    • Key Points
    • Marketer Shares
      • Three Companies Control 90% of Refrigerated Creamer Market
        • Table Refrigerated Coffee Creamer Marketer Shares, 2014-2015 (percent of dollar sales)
      • Household Brand Usage Reflects Sales Trends
        • Table Brands of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used, by Frequency, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
        • Table Brands of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used, By Frequency, 2015 (percent of U.S. households using non-dairy cream substitutes)
    • Marketer and Brand Snapshots
      • Nestlé's Coffee-mate Dominates the Market
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamers: Nestlé USA, 2015 (thousand $)
      • WhiteWave's Creamers Range From Plain to Premium to Plant
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamers: WhiteWave Foods Company, 2015 (thousand $)
      • Baileys' Style
        • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Refrigerated Coffee Creamers: H.P. Hood, 2015 (thousand $)
  • Marketing and New Product Trends
    • Key Points
    • Five-Year Trends in Non-Dairy Cream Substitute Preferences
      • Table Forms of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
      • Table Types of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
      • Table Flavors of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used, 2011-2015 (percent of U.S. households)
    • Product Innovation Redirects from Flavors to Formulations
      • Table IRI-Tracked Sales of Selected "Clean Label" Refrigerated Coffee Creamers, 2015 (thousand $)
    • Coffee-mate and Baileys Remain Champions of Seasonal and Limited-Edition Creamers
      • Table Selected New Coffee Creamer Products
    • Marketing to Millennials
      • Gingerbread Man Retained for Coffee-mate's Largest-Ever Seasonal Campaign
      • Natural Bliss Baristas Go Au Natural for a Day
      • Coffee-mate's Coffee Mug Café Energizes, Engages Ohio State Students
  • The Consumer
    • Key Points
    • Methodology
      • Demographic Indicators
    • Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes: Household Usage Rates
      • Over Four in 10 Households Use Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes
        • Table Usage of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes, 2015 (percent of U.S. households)
      • Users Show Strong Preferences in Form, Type, and Flavor Segments
        • Table Flavors of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Used, 2015 (percent of U.S. households)
    • Non-Dairy Cream Substitute Purchasers: Demographics
      • Age and Race Primary Predictors of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Use
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes: By Number of Containers Used in Last 30 Days, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographic Classifications Indexing 120 or Above for Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes in Selected Segments, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes: By Form Used Most Often, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes: By Types Used Most Often, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes: By Flavors Used Most Often, 2015 (index)
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes: By Brands Used Most Often, 2015 (index)
      • Users of Half & Half Tend to Be Older, Northeasterners
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Half & Half, 2015 (index)
      • Different Types of Coffee, Different Types of Coffee Drinkers
        • Table Demographic Indicators Favoring Use of Packaged and Ready-to-Drink Coffee, 2015(index)
    • Non-Dairy Cream Substitute Households: Psychographics
      • Users of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes Are Weight-Conscious Foodies
        • Table Food and Health Attitudes of Consumers of Non-Dairy Cream Substitutes vs. Half & Half, 2015 (index)
    • Coffee and Creamers: Consumer Patterns
      • Seven in 10 Drink Hot Coffee, 30% Chilled
        • Table Coffee and Tea Consumption by Beverage Type, 2016 (percent of adults)
      • Hot vs. Cold Weather
        • Table Consumption of Hot and Chilled/Iced Coffee: Warm vs. Cold Weather, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
      • Eight in 10 Coffee Drinkers Use Packaged Coffee Creamers
        • Table Use of Any Milk or Creamer Product by Type, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
        • Table Use of Commercial/Packaged Creamers: Hot vs. Chilled/Iced Coffee, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
        • Table Use of Dairy Beverages in Coffee: Hot vs. Chilled/Iced Coffee, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
        • Table Use of Plant Milks in Coffee: Hot vs. Chilled/Iced Coffee, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
        • Table Types of Commercial/Packaged Coffee Creamer Products Used: Hot vs. Chilled/Iced Coffee, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
      • Price Most Influential in Creamer Selection
        • Table Factors in Choosing Among Cream/Creamer Options, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)
      • Non-Users Concerned About Unhealthy Ingredients
      • Millennials Stand Out as Coffee Drinkers, Creamer Users, Discerning Shoppers
        • Table Consumption of Hot or Chilled/Iced Coffee: Demographic Indicators, 2016 (percent of adults)
        • Table Use of Creams/Creamers in Hot or Chilled/Iced Coffee by Type: Demographic Indicators, 2016 (percent of coffee drinkers)

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