Greek packaged-cheese sales reach €432.46 million as branded suppliers gain share
Greek packaged-cheese sales rose 9.9% to €432.46 million in January-August 2026, while volume increased 11.9%. Private label remained the market leader, but branded suppliers including Optima, FrieslandCampina, Dodoni and Arla gained ground.
Sales rise as average value declines
Greece’s packaged-cheese market generated €432.46 million in supermarket, superette, island-store and discount-chain sales during January-August 2026, according to powergame.gr. Revenue increased 9.9% from €393.39 million in the same period of 2025, while volume grew faster, at 11.9%. The difference implies an approximately 1.8% decline in average value per product unit, reflecting pricing changes, product mix and promotional activity.
The latest figures extend the category’s strong performance in 2025. Full-year packaged-cheese sales reached €624.86 million, compared with €557.46 million in 2024, representing growth of 12.1%. Volume rose 11.1%. Packaged cheese remains one of the most dynamic supermarket categories in Greece and the category producing the largest shelf revenue for retail chains, powergame.gr reported.
Sliced cheese leads but faces price pressure
Sliced cheese was the largest subcategory, with sales of €98.75 million in the first eight months of 2026, equivalent to about 23% of the total market. Its revenue nevertheless fell 1.6%, even as volume rose 5.4%, pointing to pronounced pressure on average selling prices. The divergence widened during the summer: sales value declined 3% in July and 4.2% in August, while volumes increased 11.2% and 9%, respectively.
Private-label products remained the leading force in sliced cheese, but their value sales declined 7.9% to €47.13 million as volume rose 6.6%. Across the full packaged-cheese market, private label generated €148.3 million and held 34.3% of sales value, down from 36.4% a year earlier. Its volume share also decreased, from 45.8% to 44.7%. The gap between its value and volume shares illustrates private label’s lower-price positioning, while the loss of share shows branded suppliers capturing part of the market’s growth.
Branded suppliers expand at different speeds
Optima remained the largest branded supplier, supported by brands including Feta Ipiros, Logadi, Adoro, Kerrygold, Katiki Domokou and Talagani Apostolou. Sales rose 11.1% to €63.9 million, and value share edged up from 14.6% to 14.8%. Its volume share slipped from 12.2% to 11.9%, indicating that value growth outpaced unit growth. FrieslandCampina, producer of Nounou, increased sales 14.6% to €26.5 million. Its value share advanced from 5.9% to 6.1%, while volume share rose from 5.4% to 6.3%.
Dodoni recorded €19.2 million in sales, up 13.7%, with value share rising from 4.3% to 4.4%. FAGE reached €15.8 million after 12.3% growth, while Mondelez posted €15.5 million, up 10.6%. Karalis generated €13.4 million, an increase of 10.7%. Arla Foods delivered one of the strongest performances among major brands: sales climbed 34.3% to €10.8 million, value share rose from 2.1% to 2.5%, and volume share increased from 1.8% to 2.4%.
Olympos increased sales 21.9%, lifting its value share from 1.9% to 2.1%. Mevgal’s sales rose 9.6% to €5.52 million, with sharper gains of 23% in July and 29% in August. Smaller suppliers also expanded rapidly: Valma grew sales 41.7%, while Berglandmilch, supplier of Alpiland products, recorded 105% growth. The results show a market still led by private label and Optima, but becoming more fragmented as both established brands and smaller suppliers compete for incremental demand.
