Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
While remaining robust on the whole, growth in dairy products and alternatives current value sales in North Macedonia in 2025 looks set to be moderately slower than in 2024, mainly because the recent spike in inflation has now largely subsided. The same factor has stimulated greater price competition and eased cost-of-living pressures to some extent, however, with the result that retail volume growth is expected to be up marginally on the previous year despite the fact that the country’s population is in long-term decline due to low birth rates and persistent emigration. Along with frequent new launches and heavy investment in marketing activities, gradual improvements in household finances have been particularly influential in encouraging trading up to higher-end products offering superior quality standards, added-value health benefits, enhanced convenience and stronger sustainability credentials. Deeply ingrained consumption habits have also continued to buoy demand, most notably for milk, cheese, yoghurt and cream.
Key trends in 2025
Polarisation has become more pronounced across dairy products and alternatives in 2025. On the one hand, rising disposable incomes and other favourable macroeconomic indicators have made Macedonians more likely to migrate to higher-priced and premium varieties, especially in categories like baby food, cheese, chilled snacks and chilled and shelf stable desserts. At the same time, however, many consumers remain cautious in their spending decisions following the steep increase in the cost of living over the latter part of the review period, and therefore continue to favour cheaper domestic brands and private label options. This is particularly the case in milk, cream and yoghurt and sour milk products. Growing acceptance of private label also reflects the success that major grocery retailers such as KAM doo and Tinex MT dooel have had in expanding and improving the quality of their ranges over recent years.
Competitive Landscape
IMB Mlekara Bitola ad has remained the top player in dairy products and alternatives in North Macedonia in value terms by a significant margin in 2025. This is chiefly due to its commanding lead in shelf stable milk, though it is also the clear leader in cheese, yoghurt, fresh milk, sour milk products and cream. The company offers an extensive array of product types, flavour variants and pack sizes under trusted brands such as BiMilk Bitolsko Mleko, Bitolski, Bitolski Kravjo Sirenje and Bitolska Kisela Pavlaka. All of its brands are widely distributed, heavily promoted and renowned for offering high quality at affordable prices, and it regularly launches new products to keep pace with the changing demands and preferences of consumers. It faces increasing competition from multiple sources, however, hence its share of total sales looks set to decline slightly from 2024.
Channel developments
Small local grocers has remained by far the most important distribution channel in dairy products and alternatives in North Macedonia in value terms in 2025, and is predicted to record the largest increase in its share of total sales from 2024. Such stores still greatly outnumber other types of grocery retailers in the country, and are typically found in more convenient locations closer to homes and workplaces. Consequently, they continue to be strongly favoured by local consumers despite having narrower assortments and less competitive pricing policies than modern formats like supermarkets, hypermarkets and discounters.
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
Dairy products and alternatives in North Macedonia is expected to see retail volume and current value sales increase steadily throughout the forecast period. While growth prospects – especially in volume terms – will be constrained by maturity and population decline, overall demand should remain reasonably solid thanks to the strength of traditional consumption habits, a broadly favourable macroeconomic climate, high levels of innovation and improvements in the distribution and marketing of various brands and product types. In particular, all of the main categories will continue to profit from rising interest in health-oriented products that are lower in fat, sugar and salt and naturally rich in or fortified with essential nutrients and functional ingredients such as probiotics.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in North Macedonia with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to a comprehensive range of core packaged food categories.
If you're in the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in North Macedonia, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Dairy Products and Alternatives in North Macedonia report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Dairy Products and Alternatives in North Macedonia?
- Which are the leading brands in Dairy Products and Alternatives in North Macedonia?
- How are products distributed in Dairy Products and Alternatives in North Macedonia?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and/or the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- What are the key health and wellness concerns driving, or challenging, sales in Dairy Products and Alternatives?
- How significant are vegan and vegetarian dietary requirements in determining sales growth in North Macedonia?
- How has COVID-19 impacted consumer demand? To what extent have lockdown, home seclusion and stockpiling boosted sales? Will the longer term economic repercussions of the pandemic stimulate or suppress future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- How significant will values-based claims, such as sustainability and ethical labelling, be in supporting future growth and brand equity?
Dairy Products and Alternatives in North Macedonia
Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
Key trends in 2025
Competitive Landscape
Channel developments
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
DISCLAIMER
Baby Food in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Drop in inflation buoys demand and encourages trading up
Hipp GmbH & Co Vertrieb KG continues to hold sizeable lead
Small local grocers remains the most important distribution channel
Current value growth set to remain solid despite declining volume sales
Health concerns will continue to shape purchasing decisions and innovation
Sustainability credentials likely to become a more important point of competition
Butter and Spreads in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Traditional consumption habits ensure overall demand remains stable
Dijamant AD retains overall lead
Distribution still concentrated in the small local grocers channel
Butter set to remain the best performing category
Consumers will continue to gravitate towards healthier varieties
EU rules will pose challenges for local producers exploring export opportunities
Cheese in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Cheese continues to expand steadily in volume and value terms
IMB Mlekara Bitola remains the overall leader
Small local grocers still the top distribution channel
Overall demand expected to remain stable
Products with more exotic flavours and textures will continue to gain popularity
Competition from plant-based alternatives set to intensify
Drinking Milk Products in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Falling inflation and health-oriented launches help to lift overall demand
IMB Mlekara Bitola maintains commanding lead
Small local grocers remains the leading distribution channel
Maturity and population decline will temper volume growth prospects
Penetration of high protein and lactose free options set to continue rising
Migration to plant-based alternatives expected to gain momentum
Yoghurt and Sour Milk Products in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rising health awareness helps to maintain robust demand
IMB Mlekara Bitola continues to lead yoghurt and sour milk products
Small local grocers still the most important distribution channel
Category expected to continue expanding steadily in volume and value terms
Health benefits will remain chief focal point for new product development activity
Threat from plant-based varieties likely to become more pronounced
Other Dairy in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Ingrained consumption habits and innovation support steady growth
Zott GmbH & Co KG retains overall lead
Small local grocers continue to dominate other dairy distribution
Stable demand for cream will continue to underpin growth in other dairy sales
All categories expected to witness more health-oriented launches
Other dairy products set to face growing challenge from plant-based alternatives
Plant-Based Dairy in North Macedonia
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Macedonians continue to show strong interest in plant-based dairy products
Danone maintains clear overall lead
Distribution remains concentrated in the small local grocers channel
Health and sustainability concerns will continue to bolster demand
Technological advances expected to facilitate improvements in quality standards
Entry of private label lines should make plant-based dairy products more accessible
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Dairy Products and Alternatives
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- Dried Baby Food
- Prepared Baby Food
- Other Baby Food
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- Liquid Standard Milk Formula
- Powder Standard Milk Formula
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- Liquid Follow-on Milk Formula
- Powder Follow-on Milk Formula
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- Liquid Growing-Up Milk Formula
- Powder Growing-Up Milk Formula
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- Liquid Special Baby Milk Formula
- Powder Special Baby Milk Formula
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- Butter
- Cooking Fats
- Margarine and Spreads
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- Spreadable Cheese
- Processed Cheese excl Spreadable
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- Packaged Hard Cheese
- Unpackaged Hard Cheese
- Soft Cheese
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- Dairy Only Flavoured Milk Drinks
- Flavoured Milk Drinks with Fruit Juice
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- Fat-free Fresh Milk
- Semi Skimmed Fresh Milk
- Full Fat Fresh Milk
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- Fat-free Shelf Stable Milk
- Semi Skimmed Shelf Stable Milk
- Full Fat Shelf Stable Milk
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- Goat Milk
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- Powder Milk
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- Sour Milk Products
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- Drinking Yoghurt
- Flavoured Yoghurt
- Plain Yoghurt
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- Chilled Dairy Desserts
- Shelf Stable Dairy Desserts
- Chilled Snacks
- Coffee Whiteners
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- Flavoured Condensed Milk
- Plain Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
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- Cream
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- Flavoured Fromage Frais and Quark
- Plain Fromage Frais and Quark
- Savoury Fromage Frais and Quark
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- Soy Drinks
- Other Plant-based Milk
- Plant-based Yoghurt
- Plant-based Cheese
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This report originates from Passport, our Dairy Products and Alternatives research and analysis database.
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