Dean Foods Introduces Small, Resealable Milk Bottles

In response to what they consider a consumer preference, Dean Foods (Franklin Park, Ill.), a leading consumer products company, is introducing "Milk Chugs"--small, resealable plastic bottles of milk--in several major Midwestern markets.

Sold in pints, quarts and 8-ounce multi-packs, the Milk Chugs will be available in stores throughout Chicago, Rockford, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Louisville. The entire line of Dean's milk products, including whole chocolate, lowfat chocolate, skim, whole, and 2 percent reduced-fat milks, will be available in the Milk Chugs packaging.

Dean Foods Chairman Howard Dean said the Milk Chug line was created to make drinking milk easier and more accessible for busy professionals and families with children. "Before Milk Chugs, on-the-go consumers would have a hard time fitting milk into their diet on a daily basis. Previously, packaging was such that people didn't think of milk as an all-day, all-occasion beverage,'' said Dean. "Finally, we have a milk bottle that fits the way people live.''

"Milk Chugs, our innovative approach to packaging and marketing milk, has the potential to double Dean's sales of quart, pint and 8-ounce fluid milk sizes,'' said Jim Page, marketing VP at Dean Foods. "In the first year of market testing, Milk Chugs were responsible for sales increases of 96 percent in chocolate pints and 77 percent in overall pints.''

Last month, T.G. Lee and McArthur, two dairy divisions of Dean Foods, introduced Milk Chugs into Florida markets with great success. Milk Chugs sales in Florida proved to be substantially greater than was initially anticipated, said Page.

For more information: Dean Foods, 3600 North River Rd., Franklin Park, IL 60131. Tel: 847-678-1680.