Cheese in Germany: counter sales rise again

Following years of dominance by the ready-sliced and prepacked sector for self-service shelves, over-the-counter sales of cheese in Germany recorded a small plus in 2007 for at least one leading producer.

Best results were from sales points backed by skilled personnel giving customers sound advice on cheeses, according to Bremen-based Nordmilch, which managed a 2% increase in counter sales of its Milram label cheeses last year in Germany. In fact, the best selling Milram cheese, Burlander, recorded a 14% increase in counter sales during that period.
Nordmilch plans to build on this success during the present year with two versions of traditional German regional cheeses added to its range and a continuous media and POS campaign highlighting cheese quality and advice at counter sales points throughout the year. The new cheeses are Reetdamer, a north German 45% fat speciality in traditional block form with red-brown waxing and the creamy 55% M