Supported by surging demand its Silk brand of almond milk products, WhiteWave Foods today reported that net sales of its North America plant-based foods and beverages platform rose by 13 percent in the first quarter of 2014. Sales of Silk Almondmilk drinks soared by 52 percent in the first four months of the year, as compared to the previous period in 2013, the company said in a statement.
In its first quarter earnings report, WhiteWave stated that overall net sales reached $830 million, which represented a 12 percent jump in “organic net sales growth,” excluding results from Earthbound Farm, which the company acquired on January 2, 2014. Whitewave, which owns a number of consumer food and beverage brands, including Horizon Organic and International Delight, highlighted the growth of its Silk Almondmilk as a key driver of new sales.
Building upon the strength of the brand, the company launched a several line extensions for Silk Almondmilk — Silk Almond Coconut Blend, Silk Protein + Fiber Almondmilk, Silk Light Almondmilk — which WhiteWave debuted at Natural Products Expo West 2014.
Silk Almondmilk holds the top spot among all almond milk products, according to WhiteWave, which noted that almond milk “now represents an estimated 66 percent of the plant-based foods and beverages category.” While the company did not offer up data on sales of its soy milk beverages, a number of market research firms, including Euromonitor International, view soy losing ground to almond milk products as a continuing trend.