Dive Brief:
- Chobani will debut pouches of squeezable yogurt for toddlers in January.
- The new product, dubbed Chobani Tots, comes as the leading brand of Greek-style yogurt faces an increasingly competitive market in Greek yogurt.
- In addition to the new baby-focused product, Chobani said it is also seeking growth by focusing on new clientele including dieters, indulgent eaters, snackers, and folks outside its core market in the Northeast.
Dive Insight:
What a long strange trip it has been for Chobani. Just eight years ago, Greek yogurt was virtually unknown. Then Chobani itself became a force that changed how Americans felt about yogurt, and caused the giants of the dairy world to respond with Greek versions of their own yogurts. Then, about a year ago, Chobani seemed to stumble ... beset by mold and deserted by Whole Foods.
But Chobani bounced back, and is now turning its attention to kids. The yogurt industry will have a lot riding on how that turns out.