The Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market size was estimated at USD 85 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 175 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.50% during the forecast period (2024-2030).

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market

Market Summary

The ice cream and frozen dessert market represents a dynamic and evolving segment within the global food and beverages industry. This market encompasses a wide array of products including traditional ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and novelties like bars and sandwiches. Consumer demand is largely driven by taste preferences, indulgence, and the growing availability of innovative flavors and formats. The industry is characterized by a high degree of competition with numerous global and regional players vying for market share through product innovation, marketing strategies, and expansion into new distribution channels. The retail landscape for these products is diverse, spanning supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, specialty ice cream parlors, and the rapidly growing e-commerce sector. A significant trend is the increasing consumer inclination towards premium and artisanal products made with high-quality, natural ingredients. Simultaneously, there is a rising demand for healthier alternatives, leading to the proliferation of products with reduced sugar, fat-free formulations, lactose-free options, and plant-based varieties catering to vegan and health-conscious consumers. The market is also influenced by seasonal variations, with sales typically peaking during warmer months, though manufacturers are increasingly developing products aimed at promoting year-round consumption.

Key Highlights

The ice cream and frozen dessert market is distinguished by several key factors that underscore its current trajectory and future potential. Innovation in flavor profiles and ingredients is a primary highlight, with manufacturers experimenting with exotic fruits, superfoods, and globally inspired tastes to captivate consumer interest. The expansion of plant-based offerings is another critical highlight, directly responding to the surge in veganism, lactose intolerance, and dietary preferences for dairy-free alternatives, utilizing bases like almond, oat, soy, and coconut milk. Sustainability has emerged as a major focus area, influencing packaging decisions with a shift towards recyclable and biodegradable materials and prompting companies to assess their environmental footprint across the supply chain. The channel dynamics are also a key highlight; while traditional brick-and-mortar retail remains dominant, the online delivery model for frozen desserts has gained remarkable traction, especially through partnerships with third-party delivery apps, making these products more accessible than ever. Furthermore, the market sees consistent activity in terms of mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships as companies strive to expand their geographic presence, acquire innovative brands, and strengthen their portfolio in a highly competitive landscape.

Drivers, Opportunities & Restraints

The growth of the ice cream and frozen dessert market is propelled by several powerful drivers. A primary driver is the rising disposable income in emerging economies, which increases consumer spending on premium and indulgent food products. The constant product innovation and launch of new flavors and healthy variants, such as low-calorie, high-protein, and functional frozen desserts, continually stimulate consumer demand and market expansion. The proliferation of retail channels, including modern grocery stores and e-commerce platforms, enhances product accessibility and convenience for a broader consumer base. Significant opportunities lie in the untapped potential of emerging markets in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, where changing lifestyles and westernization of diets present a substantial growth frontier. The development of personalized nutrition and frozen desserts fortified with vitamins, minerals, and probiotics represents a lucrative opportunity for targeted health and wellness offerings. However, the market faces notable restraints. Fluctuations in the prices and supply of raw materials like milk, sugar, and cocoa can impact production costs and profit margins. Growing health concerns related to high sugar and fat content in traditional ice cream can deter health-conscious consumers, while stringent government regulations on food safety, labeling, and sugar content pose challenges for manufacturers. Seasonal demand patterns also remain a persistent challenge for sustaining stable year-round sales volumes.

Concentration Insights

The competitive landscape of the ice cream and frozen dessert market is a mix of high concentration among a few multinational giants and a fragmented array of regional and local players. A handful of leading companies, including Unilever (brands like Ben & Jerry's, Magnum), Nestl?, and General Mills (H?agen-Dazs), hold a significant share of the global market. These behemoths leverage their extensive distribution networks, massive marketing budgets, and strong brand equity to maintain dominance. Their strategies often focus on global brand building and large-scale acquisitions of promising smaller brands. Beneath this tier, the market is highly fragmented with numerous regional manufacturers and a thriving segment of artisanal and craft producers. These smaller players compete effectively by focusing on niche segments, such as organic, super-premium, or locally sourced ingredient-based products, and often have a strong presence in their specific geographic markets. This structure creates a competitive environment where large corporations compete on scale and brand power, while smaller companies compete on specialization, quality, and authenticity. The barriers to entry for new artisanal brands are relatively low, fostering innovation, though achieving scale to compete with the marketing and distribution muscle of the giants remains a significant challenge.

Type Insights

The ice cream and frozen dessert market is segmented into various product types, each catering to distinct consumer preferences and dietary needs. Impulse ice cream, which includes single-serve items like sticks, sandwiches, and cones, is a major category driven by convenience and on-the-go consumption. Take-home ice cream, comprising larger tubs and boxes, is designed for shared consumption at home and is a staple in supermarket freezers. The frozen yogurt segment has carved out a significant niche, perceived as a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream due to its probiotic content and often lower fat levels. Artisanal and super-premium ice creams represent a growing segment, characterized by high-quality ingredients, unique flavor combinations, and a perception of indulgence and luxury. The plant-based segment is experiencing the fastest growth, fueled by the rise in vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets, as well as lactose intolerance. Products in this category are made from bases like almond, soy, oat, and coconut milk and are no longer niche but are becoming mainstream offerings from both specialized brands and major corporations. Other segments include sorbet, which is dairy-free and fruit-based, and gelato, which has a denser texture and lower butterfat content than traditional ice cream.

Application Insights

The application of ice cream and frozen desserts is primarily divided into commercial and residential sectors. The commercial application is vast and includes food service establishments such as restaurants, cafes, hotels, and dedicated ice cream parlors or chains. These outlets often serve premium or exclusive flavors and use frozen desserts as a key menu item for driving foot traffic and enhancing the dining experience. The quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector is a significant commercial user, incorporating frozen desserts into their menus as value-added items like milkshakes, sundaes, and McFlurry-style offerings. The residential or household application involves consumers purchasing products from retail outlets for consumption at home. This segment is dominated by supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores, which offer a wide variety of brands and types. A rapidly growing application channel is online food delivery and e-commerce. Platforms specializing in grocery delivery allow for the convenient purchase of take-home products, while apps dedicated to food delivery have made it possible to have single-serve novelties and scoops from local parlors delivered directly to consumers' doors, significantly expanding the market's reach and convenience.

Regional Insights

The demand and characteristics of the ice cream and frozen dessert market vary significantly across different regions, influenced by cultural preferences, climate, economic development, and distribution networks. North America and Europe are mature markets with high per capita consumption. In these regions, growth is driven by premiumization, the demand for organic and clean-label products, and the robust expansion of plant-based alternatives. The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing market, propelled by rising disposable incomes, urbanization, the influence of Western culture, and the expansion of modern retail formats. Countries like China and India present immense growth potential due to their large population bases and growing middle class. Latin America also shows steady growth, with a strong tradition of ice cream consumption, particularly in countries like Brazil and Mexico. The markets in the Middle East and Africa are developing, with growth opportunities linked to economic development, hot climates conducive to frozen dessert consumption, and the increasing presence of international brands. Each region has its own unique flavor preferences and seasonal consumption patterns, requiring manufacturers to adapt their product portfolios and marketing strategies to succeed locally.

Company Insights

The ice cream and frozen dessert market features a competitive arena with a blend of multinational corporations and specialized smaller players. Unilever, through its brands such as Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Magnum, and Talenti, is a global leader known for its extensive portfolio spanning impulse, take-home, and premium segments. Nestl? S.A. is another titan, with powerhouse brands including H?agen-Dazs (in most markets), Dreyer's/Edy's, and Nestl? Ice Cream. General Mills owns the iconic H?agen-Dazs brand in the US and other markets, focusing on the super-premium category. Beyond these giants, there are significant players like Blue Bell Creameries, a prominent regional player in the southern United States, and Turkey-based Unilever subsidiary Algida. The market also boasts a vibrant ecosystem of successful private and artisanal companies such as Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, known for its innovative flavors and premium positioning. Wells Enterprises, Inc., the maker of Blue Bunny and Bomb Pop, is a major force in the United States. The competitive strategies employed include relentless product innovation, flavor launches, strategic acquisitions of growing brands, expansive marketing campaigns, and strengthening distribution networks to maximize shelf presence and accessibility.

Recent Developments

The ice cream and frozen dessert industry is continuously evolving, with recent developments highlighting trends in product innovation, sustainability, and corporate strategy. A prominent trend has been the accelerated launch of plant-based products by nearly all major players, extending beyond ice cream into novelties and frozen yogurt to capture the growing vegan and flexitarian consumer base. There has been a significant focus on sustainability initiatives, with companies announcing commitments to shift towards 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging to address environmental concerns. Flavor innovation continues to be a key area of activity, with manufacturers introducing limited-edition flavors inspired by global culinary trends, popular desserts, and even collaborations with other food brands or celebrities to generate buzz and consumer engagement. In terms of corporate activity, mergers and acquisitions remain common as large companies seek to acquire innovative, fast-growing artisanal brands to diversify their portfolios and tap into new consumer segments. Furthermore, the expansion and optimization of cold chain logistics for e-commerce delivery have been a critical development, ensuring product quality during direct-to-consumer shipments and making online a more reliable and growing sales channel.

Report Segmentation

This comprehensive market research report on the ice cream and frozen dessert market provides a detailed analysis segmented across multiple dimensions to offer a granular understanding of the industry. The report is segmented by type, categorizing the market into key product categories such as impulse ice cream, take-home ice cream, frozen yogurt, artisanal ice cream, and plant-based frozen desserts, providing insights into the growth dynamics and consumer demand patterns for each segment. It is further segmented by application, analyzing the consumption patterns across commercial settings like foodservice outlets, restaurants, and ice cream parlors, as well as residential consumption through retail channels. A crucial segmentation is by region, offering a detailed geographical analysis covering North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa, highlighting regional trends, growth rates, and competitive landscapes. Additionally, the report includes a detailed company profile section, offering strategic insights into the key players, their market share, product portfolios, and recent business strategies. This multi-faceted segmentation allows businesses, investors, and stakeholders to identify specific growth opportunities, understand competitive intensity in each segment, and make informed strategic decisions based on robust data and analysis.

FAQs

What are the current trends in the ice cream industry? The ice cream industry is currently dominated by trends towards premium and artisanal products, a significant rise in plant-based and dairy-free alternatives, increased demand for healthier options with reduced sugar and added functional benefits, and a strong focus on sustainable and eco-friendly packaging solutions.

Which company has the largest market share in ice cream? Unilever consistently ranks as one of the companies with the largest market share in the global ice cream market, owing to its extensive portfolio of powerful brands such as Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, Breyers, and Wall's, which have a vast international presence.

What is the future of the ice cream market? The future of the ice cream market is expected to be shaped by continuous innovation in flavors and textures, the mainstreaming of plant-based products, the growth of e-commerce and home delivery services, and increasing penetration into emerging markets with rising disposable incomes.

How is the frozen desserts market segmented? The frozen desserts market is typically segmented by product type (e.g., ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato, novelties), by category (impulse, take-home, artisanal), by distribution channel (supermarkets/hypermarkets, convenience stores, online, foodservice), and by region.

What are the key drivers for the frozen dessert market growth? Key drivers propelling the frozen dessert market include rising disposable income, product innovation and new flavor launches, the expansion of retail distribution networks, the growing popularity of healthier and plant-based variants, and effective marketing and branding strategies.

Citius Research has developed a research report titled “Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Report - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies and Segment Forecasts 2024 - 2030” delivering key insights regarding business intelligence and providing concrete business strategies to clients in the form of a detailed syndicated report. The report details out the factors such as business environment, industry trend, growth opportunities, competition, pricing, global and regional market analysis, and other market related factors.

Details included in the report for the years 2024 through 2030

• Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Potential
• Segment-wise breakup
• Compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next 6 years
• Key customers and their preferences
• Market share of major players and their competitive strength
• Existing competition in the market
• Price trend analysis
• Key trend analysis
• Market entry strategies
• Market opportunity insights

The report focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in the market based on various factors geographically. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market report is segmented on the basis of various market segments and their analysis, both in terms of value and volume, for each region for the period under consideration.

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Segmentation

Regions Covered

• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• MENA
• Asia Pacific
• Sub-Saharan Africa and
• Australasia

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Analysis

The report covers below mentioned analysis, but is not limited to:

• Overview of Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market
• Research Methodology
• Executive Summary
• Market Dynamics of Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market
  • Driving Factors
  • Restraints
  • Opportunities
• Global Market Status and Forecast by Segment A
• Global Market Status and Forecast by Segment B
• Global Market Status and Forecast by Segment C
• Global Market Status and Forecast by Regions
• Upstream and Downstream Market Analysis of Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market
• Cost and Gross Margin Analysis of Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market
• Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Report - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies and Segment Forecasts 2024 - 2030
  • Competition Landscape
  • Market Share of Major Players
• Key Recommendations

The “Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Report - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies and Segment Forecasts 2024 - 2030” report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report delivers the market driven results supported by a mix of primary and secondary research. The report provides the results triangulated through authentic sources and upon conducting thorough primary interviews with the industry experts. The report includes the results on the areas where the client can focus and create point of parity and develop a competitive edge, based on real-time data results.

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Key Stakeholders

Below are the key stakeholders for the Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market:

• Manufacturers
• Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers
• Material/Component Manufacturers
• Industry Associations
• Downstream vendors

Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market Report Scope

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

Like most other markets, the outbreak of COVID-19 had an unfavorable impact on the Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market worldwide. This report discusses in detail the disruptions experienced by the market, the impact on flow of raw materials, manufacturing operations, production trends, consumer demand and the projected future of this market post pandemic.

The report has helped our clients:

• To describe and forecast the Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market size, on the basis of various segmentations and geography, in terms of value and volume
• To measure the changing needs of customers/industries
• To provide detailed information regarding the drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges influencing the growth of the market
• To gain competitive intelligence and uncover new opportunities
• To analyse opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying high-growth segments in Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Market
• To strategically profile key players and provide details of the current competitive landscape
• To analyse strategic approaches adopted by players in the market, such as product launches and developments, acquisitions, collaborations, contracts, expansions, and partnerships

Report Customization

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