Danone is dealing with a yr of strategic class and portfolio refinements because it seeks to construct on a robust 2025.
The meals and diet main achieved like-for-like (LFL) gross sales development throughout all three quarters of fiscal 2025 by pricing and, within the latter two quarters, volume-led development, signalling portfolio power in a difficult shopper surroundings.
This momentum hasn’t translated into an upgraded steering for FY25, nonetheless, with Danone sticking to its +3% to +5% outlook for LFL gross sales development forward of its annual outcomes presentation on February 20, 2026.
It’s a assured but cautious method from the French multi-national, which is aiming to keep up this vary of development within the mid-term whereas homing in on well being and wellness and science-backed innovation.
Right here’s what’s on the playing cards for Danone in 2026.
Preserve momentum in protein
Danone’s high-protein vary – together with manufacturers Oikos, YoPro and Skyr – is a formidable development engine and infrequently a standout performer throughout Danone’s whole dairy and plant-based portfolio.
In 2025, Danone moved protein into useful, science-backed and adjoining classes.
In North America, it launched Oikos Fusion, a consuming yogurt with a science-backed formulation to help satiety and muscle well being in response to the rising wellness and weight administration pattern.
The corporate additionally trialed an ambient protein shake with the goal to take advantage of a billion-dollar white house – but it surely hasn’t but determined on a nationwide roll-out.
Protein gross sales additionally gathered tempo in Europe, Latin America, and Asia and the Center East, with YoPro and Skyr powering momentum.
The query now could be, can Danone preserve this up?
Demand for protein stays strong – a lot in order that the corporate confronted yogurt provide bottlenecks in North America in Q3 2025. New capability is coming on-line in that market this yr in keeping with the management, but it surely stays to be seen how shortly that stress will probably be launched.
Innovation in plant-based is one other strategic lever right here. Protein-rich plant-based merchandise are in excessive demand, notably within the US, and the class is considerably underexploited. To that finish, Danone launched Silk Protein, a refrigerated plant-based drink with the very best quantity of protein in comparison with different options.
Innovate in intestine well being
Intestine well being just isn’t solely central to Danone’s philosophy, but it surely’s one in all its greatest development avenues.
The corporate estimates the marketplace for intestine‑well being merchandise stands at round €120 billion and sees alternatives for biotics-driven options for muscle restoration, wholesome ageing, mind well being, and metabolic well being.
Science-led analysis and innovation is a core differentiator, with Danone creating proprietary strains and investing in microbiome analytics and medical analysis to help future product growth streams.
It’s additionally ramping up advertising efforts, reformulating with cleaner and useful components, and coming into new codecs to refresh its heritage manufacturers, notably Activia, because it seeks to attraction to health-conscious shoppers of all ages.
Scale specialised diet
Danone sees grownup medical diet as one in all its key long-term alternatives. The corporate says the market is valued round €20bn and is anticipated to develop by round 50% within the coming years.
To that finish, Danone is working to scale capability by increasing and repurposing current factories; make strategic acquisitions, increase past hospitals into dwelling care and group pathways and improve its presence within the wholesome ageing house.
Additionally learn → Why medical diet is strategically necessary for Danone
Rebuild espresso creamer share
Danone is among the many leaders in espresso creamers in North America, however a recall triggered on the finish of 2024 has led to shelf share losses for its Worldwide Delight model in 2025.
Incremental restoration was achieved within the third quarter however the management famous the method is slower as a result of “it’s retailer by retailer [journey] to get it again”.
And it’s not simply distribution woes: Danone is lagging behind rivals in releasing clean-label refrigerated creamers, which means {that a} portfolio overhaul is on the playing cards.
Additionally learn → How espresso creamers grew to become a powerhouse class
Exploit useful and wholesome hydration
Danone’s Waters division returned to development in Q3 due to a profitable summer time season pushed by Evian, Volvic and Mizone gross sales.
Purposeful and wholesome hydration merchandise had been key development drivers within the quarter. Volvic’s vitamin water was a vivid spot that drove development in Europe whereas in China, Mizone achieved excessive single-digit development and its distribution will probably be expanded in 2026.
Danone sees the wholesome hydration market as a development phase, so there’s robust potential for brand new launches on this house in 2026.
