Ice Cream Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

Product innovation can make Ice cream a luxury product. The ingredients added, texture, color, flavor, packaging, the technology used, the circumstances of the purchase and consumption, all these contribute to a premium product. Companies are continuously innovating their products in order to stay in the market. Children are the major consumers of Ice cream, thus companies are producing products as per the interest of children. For instance, Unilever launched a product, Wall's Cornetto Rainbow Pop Ice Cream in Thailand and Indonesia. It is the first rainbow ice cream consisting of popping candy on the top. Companies are also focussing on flavor innovation, for instance, Tasty, one of the largest social food network in the world, has launched four new limited offer flavors, Vanilla Galaxy Twist, Peanut Butter 'S'mores Smash, Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Crunch, and White Chocolate Raspberry Lava Cake to attract more consumers. However, as an impact of COVID-19, the market witnessed slow product innovation due to the imposition of lockdown in numerous major countries of the market.

The rise in income along with an increased indulgence for sweet dishes drives the growth of this market. Unilever dominates the global market followed by Nestle. The sales of low-quality ice cream have been declining due to the increased preference for premium ice cream. The innovative flavors that companies have come up with act as a major driver for this market. Moreover, private labeling reduces the price of ice creams, thereby increasing demand. The sales of basic variety ice creams have been declining in favor of premium ones. Currently, the United States is leading the way due to the introduction of handcrafted ice creams, which is relatively linked to market maturity.