Have you ever wondered why the Starbucks drive-thru line has been slower than WFH wifi? It’s not because everyone immediately started ordering bespoke pour over coffee. It’s the Got Milk campaign’s worst nightmare: nobody wants actual milk anymore. Instead, coffee drinkers spend 10 precious minutes pondering their milk substitute when ordering.
Almonds, cashews, and even peas (yes, the little green things) are working their way up the human food chain, sending cows to the local unemployment office.
Milk is not the only victim in 2020’s quest to upend everything that we once considered good and sacred. The whole dairy industry, writ large, better prepare for more upheaval as 2 in 5 Americans are open to purchasing milk, ice cream, cheese, and yogurt products that don’t involve an udder.
But speaking of milk alternatives, non-dairy consumers are going nuts for almond milk. It’s the darling surrogate for 39% of the “I’m too good for cow’s milk” crowd. Soy milk is a very distant second at 12%.
The once holy emperors of American cuisine are staring down the barrel (literally and figuratively). One-third of Americans are willing to buy plant-based alternatives to beef and chicken. What will wedding RSVP cards look like once the Beef and Chicken Dynasty wilt like spinach? The good news there is no appetite for spinach milk ... yet.
