Dean Foods' Milk Chugs Expand Further into Midwest

The small, resealable, plastic bottles of milk introduced last year in Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kentucky, are coming to Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and other parts of Michigan, Indiana and Missouri this month.

Sold in pints, quarts, and 8-ounce multi-packs, the entire line of Dean Foods milk products is available in the new bottles including Whole Chocolate, Lowfat Chocolate, Fat-free (skim), Whole, and 2% Reduced Fat milks.

"The Milk Chugs thus far have out-done themselves, performing better than was even anticipated," said Jim Page, Dean Foods vice president of marketing. In the first year of market testing, the Chug line was responsible for sales increases of 96 percent in chocolate pints and 77 percent in overall pints. Most recently Milk Chugs entered the Chicago market, where sales were up 60 to 70 percent in only a few weeks, said Page.

According to Page, research shows that people preferred the resealable, flared cap and the round, tapered easy-to-hold bottle design, and considered it a key benefit that the opaque Milk Chug bottles are made of HDPE plastic. Consumers also responded positively to the bottle's likeness in shape and size to the small milk bottles that were delivered to American homes in the past.

"One area that has faired particularly well, and is expected to continue to do so as the roll-out moves forward, is the chocolate segment," said Sylvia Oriatti, Dean Foods' director of marketing. "Consumers are really responding to the chocolate and lowfat chocolate Chugs as a nutritious snack they can bring wherever they go."

For more information: Dean Foods, 3600 North River Rd., Franklin Park, IL 60131. Tel: 847-678-1680.

By Pam Ahlberg