Alpro has stabilised sales and increased profits despite an overall decline in milk alternative volumes throughout 2024.
Revenues climbed 2% to £108.2m as Alpro UK put an end to two years of falling sales, caused by the company’s transfer of distribution rights to Nutricia.
While the Danone subsidiary’s UK revenue remained static at £97.5m in the year to 31 December 2024, down just £25k on 2023, it achieved positive volume movement in much of the year.
NIQ figures showed Alpro unit sales were up 1.4% to 89.2 million in the year to September 2024 [NIQ 52 w/e 7 September 2024]. Alpro currently leads the UK milk alternative market.
Alpro’s turnover growth came instead from Europe, where the company managed to bring in an extra £2m – taking total European sales to £10.7m.
“The last 12 months have been about stabilisation – rebuilding momentum for plant-based and investing to set ourselves up to drive future growth,” said Danone UK&I’s head of plant-based category management Tom Kerr.
“That’s why we’ve doubled down on our investment this year, because we see so much promise in its future.”
In March 2025, Alpro revealed it had made a “multimillion-pound investment” in its UK manufacturing estate to make its oat drinks with 100% British oats.
Three years in the making, the move included the reformulation and rebranding of the company’s oat drinks, and by the end of 2025 it will have also shifted its Barista line to UK-grown oats.
The initiative has already cut associated greenhouse gas emissions by 25%, reduced land use by 20% and reduced water use by 70%.
“From the launch of Alpro Kids and high-protein innovations to a multimillion-pound commitment to source 100% British oats for our Alpro drink, it reflects our confidence in the future of the category,” Kerr said.
He added that the company’s Barista line had been a “standout success”, with sales growing 37%.
“The new Barista Cinnamon Roll flavour, in particular, generated lots of excitement this year, highlighting the momentum in the category,” he said.
“It reflects a wider shift in how people view plant-based – no longer just a dietary preference, but a lifestyle choice that over half of households now buy into.”
Alpro UK Ltd is a direct subsidiary of French dairy, plant-based and water giant Danone.
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