Category Advisor: Specialty Cheese: Beemster Cheese

As Beemster Cheese continues to develop its business in the U.S. market, the Dutch cheesemaker is also evolving its category management platform. In the past year, the company has put a lot of time and effort into researching what makes cheese sell in the deli department. By developing strong partnerships with supermarkets, Beemster has been able to focus on growing the entire specialty cheese category.

Beemster’s biggest challenge is increasing rotation in stores where there’s no constant interaction between the staff and shoppers. In those instances, the company has worked to improve product layout to help attract consumers and allow them to more easily understand the different varieties available.

In addition to layout changes, Beemster has invested in product development. This past June, the company introduced its new Blue Line of cheeses. The labels of each cheese have been redesigned with a large button that calls out the age and variety of the product. All of the cheeses and their respective promotional materials are also color-coded.

As for promotional activities, Beemster is entering its third year as an official sponsor of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It’s the only official cheese sponsor in this event to fight breast cancer. The company is also a charter member of Caring Dairy, in partnership with Ben & Jerry’s, which means it pledges not only to offer a sustainable product, but also to work in a way that’s best for every person or animal in the cheesemaking process.