by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
Whether they're feeding coffee grounds to Japanese cows or under non-GMO pressure, Starbucks has continued to make headlines this year. Regarded, by far, as the largest coffee chain in North America with nearly 11,800 stores, the organization excels at catering to customer interests.
Throughout stores in Los Angeles, Cleveland and Oregon, the corporation has begun testing coconut milk as a replacement for traditional dairy milk. Cows' milk has long been a staple ingredient in coffee beverages, as it enhances the beverage's flavor.
According to a Business Insider article, a Starbucks' spokeswoman declined to say how many stores were offering coconut milk. The article went on to note that the coffee chain is not testing almond milk, a popular nondairy option, at this time due to the "critically important safety of Starbucks' customers with nut allergies."
Yet, milk remains a vital component to coffee retail success. In fact, Starbucks' stores sell more milk than coffee, noted a 2007 New York Times article.
The product testing resulted as alternatives to traditional dairy products grow more popular. Soy milk, a longtime competitor in the dairy case, has been offered by Starbucks since 1997. The coffee giant also switched to BST-free milk in 2008, responding to consumer and investor concerns.
Sales of milk substitutes are up 30 percent since 2011, raking in almost $2 billion in 2013. In large part, this is driven by the popularity of almond milk.
In that same time period, the entire milk category grew by just 1.8 percent to $24.5 billion between 2011 and 2013. According to Mintel, nondairy milk's growth is expected to continue eclipsing dairy at least through 2018. Some 52 new milk substitute products have been rolled out so far in 2014, added The Washington Post.
