For a few years, every coffee order came with a follow-up question: oat, almond, or soy? Alt-milks looked like the future of the fridge. But dairy has recently staged a comeback, and non-dairy milk sales are slipping.

That decline isn’t hitting every brand. Verified purchase data from the latest Fetch Finds CPG trends report shows disruptor brands growing while legacy alternatives lose ground. For CPG marketers, it’s a reminder that a shrinking category can still hold opportunities to win new buyers.

Disruptor brands are bucking the non-dairy milk decline

Non-dairy milk unit sales fell 2.6% from 2025 to 2026. Inside the category, though, disruptor and legacy brands moved in opposite directions.

Dairy’s comeback hasn’t kept disruptor alternatives from growing. Even as the broader non-dairy category contracts, these brands are giving the aisle a different story to tell.

A declining category can still produce winners. For disruptor marketers, the question is where their next buyers could come from, even as overall demand softens.

Turn a category slowdown into a customer acquisition opportunity

With legacy alternatives declining and disruptors growing, marketers have a reason to consider who else their brands could win over. Shoppers buying competing milk alternatives are one relevant audience to pursue.

Fetch helps disruptor brands identify and reach those consumers based on verified purchase behavior, turning a broad competitive opportunity into a focused acquisition strategy. Randomized control groups measure the new buyers and sales a campaign adds beyond what would have happened anyway.

The category headline says demand is cooling. Disruptor growth shows there’s still competition worth showing up for.

Connect with Fetch to reach competitive buyers and measure the incremental growth your campaigns generate.