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is Executive Director of the California Dairy Innovation Center, which brings together producers, processors and educators around a common set of innovation and productivity goals. She contributes this column exclusively for Cheese Market News®.

Creating a Pathway to The Needs of Tomorrow’s Consumers

At the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) and the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), with support from Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), we work closely with universities

Chris Eastwood

The most effective cheese merchandising programs today aren’t built around products. They’re built around occasions.

For years, specialty cheese departments were largely organized by type, brand, or country of origin, said Chris Eastwood, business development manager, US retail, for the California Milk Advisory Board.

While those fundamentals still matter, leading retailers are increasingly merchandising around how consumers actually shop: enter-taining, grilling, brunch, holiday gatherings, and everyday

evolving quickly, and the organization tracks the trends shaping what shoppers crave and ultimately bring home

by  Ryann Howard

TRACY, CA
Wednesday, September 9th, 2026

Dairy has long been a grocery staple, but the path from the dairy case to the shopper’s cart is anything but static. From protein-packed products and globally inspired flavors to retail media and social-driven discovery,