After the winter holiday season ends, limited-time holiday cheeses sell out, and consumers assess their post-holiday budgets, what’s next for a retail cheese department?

Indulgence

Many instore bakeries have already been exploring how to offer consumers a reason to celebrate any day with fun, single-serve treats. Cheese departments can lean into the trend as well.

Indulgence is in demand, and understanding the different motivations consumers have for indulging can help with merchandising.

One motivation for indulgence is celebration. Someone may want a treat to reward themselves for giving a great presentation at work and unwind after the high-energy day. That might look like a glass of wine with a specialty cheese and some crackers when they get home. 

Or maybe they are celebrating their high school senior’s acceptance letter to their top school choice. They might want to prepare a special dinner at home with a starter like baked brie for the family to share.

Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets works many different types of kitchenware, potted plants, and decorations into its cheese department to paint a picture of how shoppers can use the products at home. Stores can merchandise cheeses for small celebrations with things like candles, greeting cards, flowers and miniature cakes from the instore bakery.

Another motivation for indulgence, according to Chicago-based Datassential’s 2025 Trends Report, is the complete opposite of celebration. The report highlights “living for the now” as a top trend shaping purchasing decisions.

“A reaction to uncertainty in the world is driving indulgence, little treat culture, and more,” Datassential said.

According to the report, 89% of consumers said they eat an indulgent food item at least once a week, compared to 69% the year prior.

“I was pretty surprised to see how pervasive the idea of doomerism and ‘living for the now’ has become,” said Renee Lee Wege, trendologist and senior publications manager at Datassential. “We covered indulgence last year and saw that Gen Z in particular was indulging in food- or beverage-related treats, more than other demographics overall, but little treat culture has come in really hot and strong quickly.”

Cheese is an excellent comfort food and can be merchandised with fresh soft breads, boxes of tea, hot cocoa mix, cozy mugs, face masks, bath accessories, chocolate, and anything else that comes together to tell a story of comfort to a shopper looking for a pick-me-up.

As social status drives impulse purchases for some consumers, Gold award winners from the 2024 World Cheese Awards in Portugal can be perfect to highlight as indulgent treats.

Stoughton, Wis.-based Emmi Roth received gold awards for two different Gruyère cheeses handcrafted in Switzerland:

  • Emmi Kaltbach Le Gruyère AOP: “Each wheel is recognized instantly by the color of its rind – an unmistakable rustic brown patina – and its flavors of dried stone fruit, spice, black tea and hazelnuts with an earthy depth,” Emmi Roth said. “The texture is smooth with a slight flake and pronounced crystallization.”
  • Emmi Le Gruyère AOP: “Aged a minimum of 5 months, Le Gruyère AOP slowly matures in the cave-like atmosphere of the Emmi cellars as each wheel is delicately turned, lightly brined and brushed,” the company said. “This brings out the inimitable flavor featuring notes of candied walnuts, dried fruit and spice.”

Petaluma, Calif.-based Marin French Cheese Co. also received two gold awards for its artisan soft-ripened cheeses:

  • Petite Suprême: “Combines a French soft cheese recipe with California craftsmanship,” Marin said. “Made from local California cow’s milk with extra added cream, it offers a rich creamline and a dense, buttery paste for a decadent taste in every bite.”
  • Golden Gate: “A triple crème cheese that gets its striking color from being hand-washed with brine multiple times throughout the 14-day aging process to allow the cultures naturally present in the coastal air to flourish,” the company said. “Inspired by the vibrant color of the Golden Gate Bridge, this cheese ranges from semi-soft, fudgy, and robust when young to oozing umami as it approaches its best by date. This washed rind cheese is earthy with vegetal aromas and a rich savory flavor.”

Convenience

After the holidays, many cheese consumers will be less focused on putting together beautiful entertainment boards for large numbers of people and will turn their attention to cheese snacks for themselves and their households.

Value-added cheeses in resealable containers are perfect to highlight this time of year, as people may be tired of having extra clutter in their refrigerators from holiday prep and storing leftovers.

New York-based specialty cheese company Président recently launched new convenient packaging for its Rondelé line of spreadable cheeses.

The Rondelé packaging has increased from a 6.5-ounce cup to an 8-ounce cup, giving consumers 23% more product for the same price, and the cups have resealable lids so families can easily save the rest for later.

With the new packaging, Président has also launched a new Rondelé flavor: Mango Habanero.