How Yoplait fits into Lactalis’ US yogurt empire

Touted as ‘elephant deal’ by analysts, Lactalis USA’s acquisition of General Mills’ $1.2bn US yogurt business completed on June 30, 2025.

The transaction adds brands Yoplait, Mountain High and :ratio into Lactalis’ already sizeable yogurt portfolio, which features Siggi’s, Stonyfield Organic, Brown Cow and Green Mountain Creamery.

All three have unique selling points – ratio’s snackable, keto-friendly positioning appeals to the health and weight-conscious; Mountain High is a European-style cultured yogurt equally at home with that cohort and more traditional consumers; and Yoplait is the biggest household name in the portfolio, its French-style yogurt familiar to consumers ever since it was first introduced in North America in the mid-1970s.

While Yoplait’s market share of sales has shrunk from 20% in the late ‘70s to 11% today (according to Evidnt research), it remains among the top 5 yogurt brands in the US. Combined with Siggi’s 6%, Lactalis now holds two of the largest yogurt brands in sales terms, second only to Danone’s share of 26%.

Despite plenty of disruptors in the yogurt space – from cultured and functional to A2 dairy and plant-based – legacy, dairy-first brands continue to dominate.

So how does Yoplait fit into Lactalis USA’s current mix? Let’s take a look at the dairy major’s current portfolio.

Lactalis USA already boasts a healthy range of branded products. From Brown Cow’s heritage cream-top yogurt to Icelandic-style skyr from Siggi’s and probiotic yogurt cups from Stonyfield Organic, the company offers a good mix of traditional and functional options as well as formats such as pouches and drinkable yogurt.

But none of Lactalis USA’s current brands has quite the gravitas of Yoplait.

Treading between the traditional and the innovative, the brand has been a trend-setter more than once – including when in the late ’90s it introduced Go-Gurt, the first yogurt in a tube that can be frozen and which eventually kick-started the production of portable yogurt for adults.

At a time when consumers continue to snack at least once a day, Yoplait’s range of formats – from snack-size to multi-packs and tubs – along with its various seasonal and core flavors, makes the brand perennially relevant.

There’s also something for the consumer seeking permissible indulgence – premium French-style yogurt Oui by Yoplait checks many boxes here, from artisanal to natural and snack-sized.

And in 2024, Yoplait entered the high-protein space with a range of 1lb 3oz tubs and single-serve 5.6oz formats of plain and flavored yogurts with low sugar content (3g) and 15g of protein.

Dubbed the brand’s ‘most substantial innovation in recent years’, the range marries traditional dairy made from ultra-filtered milk while maintaining the creamy texture the brand is known for.

It’s no surprise then that Lactalis USA CEO Esteve Torrens focused on Yoplait as he made a statement about the company’s growth strategy and ambition as an ‘emerging leader in the US yogurt market’.

“Incorporating the popular Yoplait brand into our house of US dairy product brands will create important, new opportunities for growth and product innovation, as well as positive impacts for our customers, communities and employees,” Torrens said.

Yoplait in Canada

While Lactalis USA owns Yoplait in the US, the brand’s Canadian operations are owned by French dairy co-op Sodiaal, which also holds its operations in Europe and manages its franchises in 40 countries globally.

General Mills netted $95.9m from divesting its Canadian yogurt operations, a deal completed in January 2025.