Oui by Yoplait enters non-dairy category

By Beth Newhart

- Last updated on GMT

General Mills is looking to improve the performance of its US yogurt business and is focused on driving the simply better segment of the yogurt category.
General Mills is looking to improve the performance of its US yogurt business and is focused on driving the simply better segment of the yogurt category.

Related tags Yogurt Yoplait General mills Non-Dairy Nielsen

Coconut-based yogurt alternatives are coming in 2020 from French-style yogurt Oui by Yoplait. The US dairy brand was also recognized as one of Nielsen’s 2019 Breakthrough Innovation winners.

After a mid-2017 launch in the US, Oui’s French style yogurt has grown to include 13 flavors in multiple sizes. In the brand’s first major expansion, it will add a non-dairy line of yogurt alternatives, and a dairy line of Crème Desserts in early 2020.

Parent company General Mills said the Dairy Free Coconut Dairy Alternative collection “squarely aligns with growing consumer interest in plant-based foods.”​ It’s packaged in Oui’s 5oz glass pot with a teal label to distinguish it from the dairy products.

Vanilla, Strawberry, Raspberry and Mango are the first flavors available dairy-free. The Vanilla contains 170 calories, 10g of fat, 10mg of sodium, 19g of carbs, 12g of sugar and 1g of protein per pot.

Also announced this week is a new line of dairy Crème Desserts, Oui’s take on Crème Fraîche, which is a cultured French cream. It aims to be a premium dessert offering from the yogurt category, and launches first with Caramel Cream, Lemon Tart and Vanilla Bean flavors.

oui creme 1

The Crème Desserts will come in two-packs of squat, 3.5oz glass pots. The Vanilla Bean contains 220 calories, 15g of fat, 50mg of sodium, 17g of carbs, 15g of sugar and 3g of protein per pot.

General Mills said the company “is looking to improve the performance of its US yogurt business and is focused on driving the simply better segment of the yogurt category through innovation and brand building; leading growth with families with its original style Yoplait and Go-Gurt yogurt offerings; and entering growth spaces with offerings like new GoodBelly probiotic yogurt.”

Leveraging a premium French heritage

Oui by Yoplait was recognized recently as one of Nielsen Global Connect’s Top 25 Breakthrough Innovation winners for 2019. Nielsen’s annual list awards innovation and global success from CPG companies.

Nielsen data found that a new product was launched to the US marketplace every two minutes in 2019, and the team reviewed nearly 45,000 products that debuted in 2017 for this year’s top 25 list.

oui 2

It said the winners “succeeded in making meaningful connections with consumers, an impressive feat within an increasingly crowded marketplace.”​ Other criteria included mass potential, longevity, brand incrementality, category distinction and appeal toward a specific consumer target.

Jenny Frazier, senior VP of Nielsen BASES, said, “Consumers encounter more than 30,000 new products every year, creating a fierce competition to capture the hearts and wallets of consumers. With this much new news in the marketplace, there’s never been a more important time for manufacturers to find breakthrough success.”

Oui reported that it achieved more than $100m in first year sales, and attributed the brand’s success to “being more connected to where the consumer is going.”

Doug Martin, president of the General Mills US yogurt business, said, “We really leaned on Yoplait’s French heritage and embraced the way yogurt was made in the past as we set out to deliver a premium, crafted experience.

“Consumers were ready for something new, evidenced by the continued declines of Greek style yogurt. Oui by Yoplait is intentionally crafted - from the remarkable glass jar to the simple ingredients to the eight-hour cup set process.”

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