Retail Details: Why is Wisconsin Known for Dairy?

We’ve gone a bit potluck with this edition of Retail Details. As always, we’ve got some great facts about food, including the reasons why Wisconsin is so identified with dairy products, as well as the way consumers think about breakfast. But we’ve also got some interesting statistics about retail employment numbers, as well as how the federal government has changed food labeling regulations.

Did you know that Wisconsin is known as “America’s Dairyland” for some very good reasons? In 2015, Wisconsin’s dairy farms produced 3 billion gallons of milk and 3 billion pounds of cheese. In fact, Wisconsin is responsible for 26 percent of the cheese produced in the United States.

Did you know that in May 2016 the Food and Drug Administration revealed a new design for food nutrition labels? One of the most obvious changes is the larger typeface for a food’s calorie count. Another change was the decision by the FDA to no longer require food suppliers to include information about Vitamin A and Vitamin C content. According to the FDA, the previous regulations that required this information were made when people were still suffering from diseases related to a lack of these nutrients in their diets.

Did you know that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently over half a million people employed by the non-store retail sector? These folks work for retailers who don’t have brick-and-mortar stores but instead sell via mail order, e-commerce, infomercials, vending machines and home delivery services.

Did you know that consumer views on breakfast have been changing over the years? A 2015 survey by Packaged Facts showed that only 33.7 percent of consumers surveyed agreed with a statement affirming breakfast as a meal more important than other meals. In 2012, 37.9 percent of survey-takers agreed with the statement.

It also appears as though consumers appreciate convenience when it comes to the first meal of the day: 52 percent describe the breakfast they normally have as “quick, easy and painless.”