Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- 2018 heatwave sees ice cream sales rocket
- Inflation expected to drive value growth
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- Figure 1: Forecast of UK retail value sales of ice cream, 2013-23
- Sunny summer sees handheld ice cream sales rocket
- Tubs and blocks continue on upward trajectory
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- Figure 2: UK retail value sales of ice cream, by segment, 2016-18
- Spotlight remains on sugar
- Cost increases drive inflation in category
- Companies and brands
- Ben & Jerry’s leads sales in tubs segment
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- Figure 3: Leading brands’ value shares in the UK retail ice cream tubs and blocks market, 2017/18*
- Magnum sees robust growth, but shares slip
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- Figure 4: Leading brands’ value shares in the UK retail handheld singles and multipack ice cream market, 2017/18*
- Lower-sugar and -calorie ice cream launches rise
- Dairy alternatives remain a focus in NPD
- Unilever’s lead in ice cream adspend increases in 2017
- Magnum excels on trust and quality, Häagen-Dazs lead as indulgent and special
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- Figure 5: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, October 2018
- The consumer
- ‘Everyone’ eats ice cream
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- Figure 6: Frequency of eating ice cream, August 2018
- Dairy ice cream is most common type eaten
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- Figure 7: Types of ice cream eaten, August 2018
- Treating oneself is the key ice cream driver
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- Figure 8: Reason for eating ice cream, August 2018
- Flavour is king in ice cream choice
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- Figure 9: Important factors influencing the choice of ice cream, August 2018
- Health is of little concern when it comes to ice cream
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- Figure 10: Behaviours relating to ice cream, August 2018
- Demand for more single-portion ice cream cups
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- Figure 11: Attitudes towards ice cream, August 2018
- Lack of awareness limits usage of gelato
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- Figure 12: Correspondence analysis of qualities associated with selected types of ice cream, August 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Lower-calorie ice creams must tackle negative preconceptions to grow mass-market appeal
- The facts
- The implications
- Interest in alcoholic ice cream highlights scope for cross-category brand collaborations
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- 2018 heatwave sees ice cream sales rocket
- Inflation expected to drive value growth
- Sunny summer sees handheld ice cream sales rocket
- Tubs and blocks continue on upward trajectory
- Spotlight remains on sugar
- Cost increases drive inflation in category
Market Size and Forecast
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- Scorching summer weather boosts sales in 2018
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- Figure 13: UK retail value sales of ice cream, 2013-23
- The future
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- Figure 14: Forecast of UK retail value sales of ice cream, 2013-23
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Sunny summer sees handheld ice cream sales rocket
- Tubs and blocks continue on upward trajectory
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- Figure 15: UK retail value and volume sales of ice cream, by segment, 2016-18
Market Drivers
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- Sugar remains in the public spotlight
- Ice cream is among categories tasked with sugar reduction…
- …with progress reported in year one
- Category makes concerted efforts to reduce sugar
- 2018 summer heatwave boosts sales
- Ice cream looks to tap into evenings in
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- Figure 16: Total hours of sunshine in the UK, by season, 2013-18
- Cost increases hit category
- Weak Pound drives up import costs
- Vanilla prices soar
- Consumer spend likely to remain cautious
- Ageing population brings no benefit to ice cream
- Growth in kids’ population should benefit category
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- Figure 17: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2013-23
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Ben & Jerry’s leads sales in tubs segment
- Magnum sees robust growth, but shares slip
- Lower-sugar and -calorie ice cream launches rise
- Dairy alternatives remain a focus in NPD
- Unilever’s lead in ice cream adspend increases in 2017
- Magnum excels on trust and quality, Häagen-Dazs lead as indulgent and special
Market Share
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- Unilever remains dominant in ice cream market, but own-label closes in
- Ben & Jerry’s is biggest brand in tubs
- Häagen-Dazs’ sales dip
- Halo Top on-track to post strong first-year sales
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- Figure 18: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK retail ice cream tubs and blocks market, by value and volume, 2016/17 and 2017/18
- Sunny summer bolsters sales for leading handheld brands
- Magnum remains leading brand in handheld
- Nestlé grows segment share
- Häagen-Dazs doubles sales
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- Figure 19: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK retail handheld singles and multipack ice cream market, by value and volume, 2016/17 and 2017/18
Start-up Company Profiles
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- Northern Bloc
- Company mission
- Product
- Social media information
- Mintel consumer trends
- Why it could succeed
- Why it could fail
- Mintel’s verdict
- Wheyhey
- Company mission
- Product
- Social media information
- Mintel consumer trends
- Why it could succeed
- Why it could fail
- Mintel’s verdict
- POPS
- Company mission
- Product
- Social media information
- Mintel consumer trends
- Why it could succeed
- Why it could fail
- Mintel’s verdict
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Water-based ice cream launches pick up in 2018
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- Figure 20: Share of new product launches in the UK retail ice cream market, by type, 2014-18
- Handheld formats see activity pick up in 2018
- Lower-sugar and -calorie ice cream craze reaches UK
- Focus on natural, quality ingredients and indulgent flavours sets new launches apart
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- Figure 21: Share of new product launches in the UK retail ice cream market, by selected claims, 2014-18
- Smaller brands are first to adopt premium lower-sugar positioning
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- Figure 22: Examples of Oppo and Wheyhey lower-calorie ice cream launches in the UK, 2018
- US sensation Halo Top launch in the UK in 2018
- Unilever picks up the gauntlet with Breyers Delight and Ben & Jerry’s Moo-phoria
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- Figure 23: Examples of Halo Top and Unilever’s lower-calorie ice cream launches in the UK, 2018
- Smaller brands contribute to trend
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- Figure 24: Examples of Koupe and Jude’s lower-calorie ice cream launches in the UK, 2017 and 2018
- Premium and indulgent launches continue to drive NPD
- Froneri launches premium Cornetto rival Nestlé Extrême
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- Figure 25: Examples of indulgent ice cream launches in the UK, 2018
- Flavour extensions look to deliver on indulgence
- NPD continues in dairy alternatives
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- Figure 26: Examples of plant-based ice cream launches from Booja-Booja, Northern Bloc, and Blue Skies in the UK, 2017 and 2018
- Unilever extends popular brands with vegan variants
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- Figure 27: Examples of plant-based ice cream launches from Alpo, Ben & Jerry’s, and Cornetto in the UK, 2017 and 2018
- Ice cream makers explore on-trend ingredients
- Avocado in Avo-lato at Selfridges
- Frozen kefir from Yorvale
- Greedy Goat makes retail debut
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- Figure 28: Avocado and kefir ice cream products from Fravocado and Yorvale in the UK, on-shelf in 2018
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Above-the-line spend jumps in 2017
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- Figure 29: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on ice cream, 2014-18
- Unilever increases its lead in ice cream spend in 2017
- General Mills supports Häagen-Dazs’ brand refresh
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- Figure 30: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on ice cream, by top five advertisers (sorted by 2017), 2014-18
- Taste and indulgence remain key marketing themes
- Nestlé Extrême looks to draw adults to cones with an invitation to indulge
- Magnum continues to court ‘pleasure seekers’
- Ben & Jerry’s highlights multitude of ways to love its ice cream
- Magnum links with Time Out for ‘Time In’ occasions push
- Kelly’s continues to focus on Cornish origin; Carte D’Or plays on French roots
- Brands spotlight health credentials alongside taste
- Ice cream brands utilise pop-ups and experimental activations
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 31: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, October 2018
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 32: Key metrics for selected brands, October 2018
- Brand attitudes: Magnum excels on trust and quality
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- Figure 33: Attitudes, by brand, October 2018
- Brand personality: Ben & Jerry’s stands out as fun
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- Figure 34: Brand personality – Macro image, October 2018
- Häagen-Dazs has a lead as indulgent and special
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- Figure 35: Brand personality – Micro image, October 2018
- Brand analysis
- Magnum’s lead is supported by strong perceptions of trust, quality, and indulgence
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- Figure 36: User profile of Magnum, October 2018
- Ben & Jerry’s fun and innovative image appeals to the young
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- Figure 37: User profile of Ben & Jerry’s, October 2018
- Häagen-Dazs has a premium, indulgent image
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- Figure 38: User profile of Häagen-Dazs, October 2018
- Carte D’Or enjoys high usage, but struggles with differentiation
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- Figure 39: User profile of Carte D’Or, October 2018
- Kelly’s authentic and traditional image gives it standout among older consumers
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- Figure 40: User profile of Kelly’s, October 2018
- Halo Top leads on health, but preconceptions limit perceptions of indulgence and quality
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- Figure 41: User profile of Halo Top, October 2018
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- ‘Everyone’ eats ice cream
- Dairy ice cream is most common type eaten
- Treating oneself is the key ice cream driver
- Flavour is king in ice cream choice
- Health is of little concern when it comes to ice cream
- Demand for more single-portion ice cream cups
- Lack of awareness limits usage of gelato
Frequency of Eating Ice Cream
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- ‘Everyone’ eats ice cream
- The young are most likely to eat ice cream
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- Figure 42: Repertoire of types of ice cream eaten, August 2018
- Three in five have eaten ice cream weekly
- Most don’t feel they eat enough ice cream to worry about its healthiness
- Young adults and parents are key users
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- Figure 43: Frequency of eating ice cream, August 2018
Types of Ice Cream Eaten
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- Dairy ice cream is most common type eaten
- Non-dairy ice cream has attracted buzz in recent years
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- Figure 44: Types of ice cream eaten, August 2018
- Large tubs and handheld formats enjoy equal popularity
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- Figure 45: Ice cream formats eaten, August 2018
- The young are main users of toppings and additions
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- Figure 46: Ice cream addition eaten, August 2018
Reasons for Eating Ice Cream
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- Treating oneself is the key ice cream driver
- Treating oneself remains relevant for NPD…
- …and in marketing
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- Figure 47: Reason for eating ice cream, August 2018
- Many young people reach for ice cream for a mood boost
- Hot weather remains important for ice cream
Choice Factors for Ice Cream
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- Flavour is king in ice cream choice
- New flavours appeal more to frequent users
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- Figure 48: Important factors influencing the choice of ice cream, August 2018
- One in three are swayed by premium ingredients
- Ingredient scrutiny is low
Attitudes and Behaviours relating to Better-for-you Ice Cream
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- Health is of little concern when it comes to ice cream
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- Figure 49: Attitudes towards ice cream, August 2018
- One in five have eaten lower-calorie ice cream…
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- Figure 50: Behaviours relating to better-for-you ice cream, August 2018
- …but negative perceptions prevail
- Lower-calorie ice cream faces an uphill struggle on two fronts
- Price is key barrier for lower-calorie ice cream brands
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- Figure 51: Perceptions of products from selected lower-calorie dairy ice cream brands in comparison to other dairy ice cream products in the UK market, April-October 2018
Behaviours relating to Ice Cream
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- Demand for more single-portion ice cream cups
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- Figure 52: Examples of single-serve ice cream cups in the UK retail market, 2018
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- Figure 53: Behaviours relating to ice cream, August 2018
- Alcoholic ice cream garners widespread interest
- Cross-category brand collaborations hold potential
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- Figure 54: Examples of alcoholic ice cream launches in the UK, 2017 and 2018
Qualities Associated with Types of Ice Cream
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- Dairy ice cream with additions leads on indulgence
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- Figure 55: Qualities associated with selected types of ice cream, August 2018
- Ice lollies need to work harder to push guilt-free angle
- Lack of awareness limits usage of gelato
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- Figure 56: Correspondence analysis of qualities associated with selected types of ice cream, August 2018
- Methodology
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations, and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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- Figure 57: Total UK retail value sales of ice cream, best- and worst-case forecast, 2018-23
Appendix – Market Share
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- Figure 58: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK retail ice cream tubs and blocks market, by value and volume, 2016/17 and 2017/18
- Figure 59: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK retail handheld singles and multipack ice cream market, by value and volume, 2016/17 and 2017/18
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Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Figure 60: Share of new product launches in the UK retail ice cream market, by format, 2014-18
- Figure 61: Share of new product launches in the UK retail ice cream market, by top 10 companies, 2014-18
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- Figure 62: Share of new product launches in the UK retail ice cream market, by brands and private label, 2014-18
- Figure 63: Share of new product launches in the UK retail ice cream market, by top 10 claims, 2014-18
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 64: Attribute performance of lower-calorie ice cream brands^ in comparison to dairy ice cream in the UK market, April-September 2018
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