Estonia, Foodstuff, Markets and Companies

Both producers and retailers confirm that Estonian consumers’ interest in the so-called light-products is declining and people increasingly buy dairy products that have natural flavour.

Marketing director of Tere dairy industry Alar Pink stated that a few years ago, it was quite popular to use low-fat products in Scandinavian countries as well as in other countries. Now people have returned to products with higher fat content. “This trend is very apparent in Estonia: the light-products have lost their market share,” he stated. Tere still has only two low-fat yoghurts in its products list, but will cease producing them in the coming autumn.

“They (low-fat products – ed.) have their own consumer segment, but it is not sufficient for an enterprise of our size,” explained Pink, adding that Tere foresees higher-fat products assume a new position in the future.

Ruta Kallaspoolik, the marketing director of the Maag Dairy Industry, stated that their company’s experience is that people in Estonia have started eating more butter and sour cream. She remarked that in May and in June, sour cream sales grew 42% in the year-on-year comparison.