Arla has launched its first branded organic milk product in the Middle East, forming an important part of its growth strategy in the region.
The Danish company wants to become the number one organic dairy brand in the Middle East and North Africa by 2020, with further plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and Kuwait next year.
The Middle East is Arla’s largest market outside Europe, but the company is traditionally better known in the region for its non-organic offerings – particularly under the local dairy brand Puck, but also as part of its Lurpak and Costello portfolios.
According to Arla Middle East and North Africa senior vice-president of operations Rasmus Malmbak Kjeldsen, this is something the cooperative wants to address.
“We see a growing appetite for organic products in the Middle East, and we are responding to this consumer demand with the first of many organic product launches in the region,” he said.
“As the world’s leading producer of organic dairy products, we look forward to introducing more Middle Eastern consumers to our organic range by adding Arla Organic to our existing portfolio in the region.”
Arla Organic Milk will initially debut in the UAE – “a first-mover country”, Arla said – as it was the first market in the Middle East where the company spotted consumer demand for organic dairy products. It will then undergo a ‘phased launch’ to make the product available more widely across the region.
It adds to recent organic developments from Arla in Europe, where the company has made a concerted effort to introduce Arla branding across its organic milk products. The group launched a first branded organic milk line in the UK in November before updating it in July, and it has also teamed up with McDonald’s to co-brand bottles of organic Arla milk for use in the chain’s Happy Meals.
“We have noted a general trend towards organic, especially in the fruit and vegetables category,” Malmbak Kjeldsen continued. “Now we are seeing this unfold into dedicated organic shops, cafés and restaurants. By launching Arla Organic milk in the UAE first, we look to tap into this growing trend and gather crucial information about organic consumers, which we can utilise as we enter neighbouring markets.”
Arla Organic Milk is available across all key retailers in the UAE, including Union Coop, Choithrams and Carrefour.
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