Cheese tops specialty sales.
Cheese tops specialty sales.
Retail dollar sales of specialty products grew 19.7% from 2013-2015, according to the Specialty Food Association’s 2016 State of the Specialty Food Industry report, a joint research project that incorporates data from Mintel and SPINS/IRI.
Retailers tallied specialty food sales of about $94 billion in 2015, the report found.
Of the 61 specialty food categories studied, 58 had double-digit growth overall (including both retail and foodservice channels).

The top 10 specialty food categories in terms of 2015 retail sales volume were:
  1. Cheese and cheese alternatives, $4.3 billion (up 14.7% from 2013-2015)
  2. Frozen and refrigerated meat, poultry and seafood, $3.6 billion (up 23.1%)
  3. Chips, pretzels and snacks, $3.5 billion (up 22.3%)
  4. Coffee, coffee substitutes and cocoa (non-RTD), $3.2 billion (up 17.3%)
  5. Bread and baked goods, $2.6 billion (up 14.7%)
  6. Candy and individual snacks, $2.2 billion (up 21.4%)
  7. Frozen lunch and dinner entrées, $1.9 billion (up 21.4%)
  8. Condiments, dressings and marinades, $1.9 billion (up 10.4%)
  9. Yogurt and kefir, $1.8 billion (up 27.6%)
  10. Refrigerated entrées and prepared meals, $1.7 billion (up 34.5%).