ALTOONA, Pa. — Sheetz convenience stores now carry Danone North America’s Silk oat milk on its made-to-order menu in all locations.
Oat milk is gaining market momentum for two reasons: taste and texture, Danone said. In two years, oat milk has risen from newcomer in the plant-based space to one of the most frequently purchased plant-based beverages, experiencing triple-digit growth in 2020 and expanding 25-fold since 2018, according to the Plant Based Foods Association, San Francisco.
- Sheetz is No. 14 on CSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.
Also, according to NielsenIQ data, oat milk sales are now second only to almond milk, the plant-based milk leader.
Danone Away from Home, the foodservice business unit of Broomfield, Colo.-based Danone North America, recently secured partnerships with Sheetz and others. A partnership with Planet Smoothie features a co-branded smoothie platform using Silk oat milk in three varieties.
Additionally, several national and regional c-store chains introduced Silk oat milk portion control creamers, including 7-Eleven, Circle K, ExtraMile, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Murphy USA, Pilot and Speedway.
“We are thrilled to partner with such great companies to help them drive sales and to expand our ability to bring Silk oat milk to more people across the U.S.,” said Ariel Dalton, vice president, Away from Home, Danone North America. “As the plant-based pioneer with nearly 30 years of expertise in the category, it seems natural that more and more foodservice operators are turning to Danone North America for their oat milk needs. With the substantial increase in consumer demand for oat milk, the creamy texture and delicious, smooth taste of Silk oat milk is a great addition to operators’ menus.”
With the expanding consumer demand for oat milk, Danone has several new Silk products slated to launch in 2022.
“We look forward to bringing more oat milk versatility, taste and innovation to our foodservice customers in the coming months,” Dalton added.
Danone North America’s portfolio of brands includes Activia, DanActive, Danimals, Dannon, evian, Happy Family Organics, Honest to Goodness, Horizon Organic, International Delight, Light + Fit, Oikos, Silk, So Delicious Dairy Free, SToK, Two Good, Wallaby Organic and YoCrunch.
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