Channel Check: What’s Hot and What’s Not

SPOTLIGHT CATEGORIES REFRIG MILK SUBSTITUTES and ALMOND MILK

The alt-milk categories are breeding grounds for innovation and entrepreneurial companies, and we’ve seen a plethora of successful new brands incubate there. Only one problem: the conglomerates are starting to get involved. For almond milk, Coke-owned Simply is sneaking into the category, and can likely trade out shelf space it has to share from the slipping citrus juice categories to outflank some of the newer entries. So if you’ve got cash problems, look out. Depending on how much of a priority Simply makes this, it could signal big changes next year. Meanwhile, look at Chobani and Planet Oat, both with growth that is outpacing category darlings Oatly and Califia Farms. We’re seeing lots of shifting leverage in the cold case, for sure.