Müller is looking to take the UK flavoured milk category by storm with the launch of Müller Milk, the market-leading flavoured milk in its German home market.

The new range, which hits shelves in August, marks Müller’s first foray into the UK chilled milk category.

It was a “natural and fitting” development, said Müller marketing director Lee Rolston, citing Kantar Worldpanel research showing that Müller yoghurts were purchased by more consumers than any other yoghurt brand [Kantar 52w/e 11 June 2011].

“Consumers associate Müller with great taste and variety and it’s a brand they trust,” he added.

The launch of Müller into chilled flavoured milk would also bring incremental growth by attracting consumers to the developing category, he predicted.

The range, which will be available in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavours and comes in 400ml PET bottles (rsp: £1.09), is aimed at the impulse, convenience and forecourt channels, as well as the kids market.

Pre-launch consumer ­focus group research ­conducted in the UK had revealed Müller Milk was popular with young men making impulse snack purchases and mothers who saw it as an alternative to soft drinks for their children, said the company.

Chocolate, strawberry and banana flavours account for 75% of chilled flavoured milk sales in the UK [Nielsen 52w/e 11 June 2011]. Müllermilch, which was launched in Germany in 1983, is the brand leader in the ‘milk-mix’ category equivalent to flavoured milks in the UK and Müller sells 120 million ­bottles a year [Müller, ex-factory sales].

Earlier this month, The Grocer revealed that the company had axed Müller Stars last October after just seven months, after it failed to meet sales expectations. The company is about to unveil a new packaging design for its Corner, Müllerlight and Rice lines, which will highlight the Müller masterbrand more prominently.

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