Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Best-and worst-case forecast of total value sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
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- Figure 2: Best-and worst-case forecast of total retail volume sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
- Companies and brands
- Leading players are facing competition from emerging and smaller brands
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- Figure 3: Leading ice cream companies, by value share, 2019-2020
- Clean label products are on the rise while plant-based options appear in the market
- The consumer
- Further increased penetration of both packaged and freshly-made ice cream
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- Figure 4: Ice cream consumption, 2021
- Growing demand for ice cream as after meal dessert and comfort food
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- Figure 5: Consumption occasion, 2017 vs 2021
- O2O retailers have seen fast growing popularity with elevated convenience
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- Figure 6: Purchase channel, 2021
- Consumers in agreement on milky and sophisticated ice cream
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- Figure 7: Ice cream preference – select items, 2021
- Opportunities in products with touchpoints on naturalness
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- Figure 8: Desired attributes, 2021
- Utilise plant-based and healthy options to expand the audience
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- Figure 9: Consumption interest, 2021
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Strengthen the snack feature to break seasonal limits
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 10: Häagen-Dazs x Secret Cinema “Secret Sofa”, UK, 2020
- Figure 11: Chicecream’s Gao, China, 2021
- Take advantage of New Retail to provide timely indulgence with elevated convenience
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 12: Product examples of ice creams cobranded with Hema, China, 2020-2021
- Plant-based options offer balance between health and indulgence
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 13: Product examples of plant-based ice creams, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany, 2021
The Market – Market Size and Forecast
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- Ice cream has witnessed increased demand after the COVID-19 outbreak
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- Figure 14: Best-and worst-case forecast of total value sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
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- Figure 15: Best-and worst-case forecast of total retail volume sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
Market Factors
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- Shift to in-home occasions after COVID-19
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- Figure 16: Change in spending on in-home food and eating out – spent more, 2020-2021
- Wide spread emotional issues raise the demand for comfort foods
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- Figure 17: Emotional issues, 2021
- Standardisation in cold chain transportation
Key Players – Market Share
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- The market structure of leading players remains stable…
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- Figure 18: Leading ice cream companies, by value share, 2019-2020
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- Figure 19: Leading ice cream companies, by volume share, 2019-2020
- …but they face competition from emerging and smaller brands
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- Figure 20: Examples of ice cream from convenience stores on Xiaohongshu, China, 2021
Marketing Activities
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- Utilise crossovers to excite consumers and encourage consumption
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- Figure 21: Product examples of cobranded ice creams, China, 2020-2021
- Capitalising on young generations with celebrity endorsements
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- Figure 22: Celebrity endorsements for Deluxe and Magnum, China, 2021
- Borrow haloes from star products
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- Figure 23: Product examples of ice creams from brand extensions, China and UK, 2020-2021
- Create resonance with consumers via nostalgia marketing
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- Figure 24: Su He Shan x Qu Yi Xian Five-year College Entrance Examination & Three-year Practice fresh milk and mango flavour ice cream, China, 2021
- Figure 25: Product examples of ice creams with childhood flavours, China, 2020-2021
New Product Trends
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- Clean label and ethical products are on the rise
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- Figure 26: Top claims of new ice cream product launches, China, 2016-2020
- Figure 27: Product examples of ice creams with natural claims, China, 2020
- Figure 28: Product examples of ice creams with ethical claims, China, 2020-2021
- Plant-based ice cream has growing presence
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- Figure 29: New products launches in ice cream, by subcategory, China, 2016-2020
- Figure 30: Product examples of vegan and plant-based ice creams, China, 2020-2021
- Cultural appearance under the trend of eating with eyes
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- Figure 31: Product examples of cultural and creative ice creams, China, 2021
- Expand ice cream audience to dogs
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- Figure 32: Product examples of ice cream for dogs, US, 2021
The Consumer – Ice Cream Consumption
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- Increased user penetration across different product types
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- Figure 33: Ice cream consumption, 2021
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- Figure 34: Change in ice cream consumption, 2017 vs 2021
- Freshly-made ice cream benefits from increased availability
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- Figure 35: Freshly-made ice creams from tea houses, China, 2020-2021
- Consumers in their late 20s and with mid-to-high income are the key audience
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- Figure 36: Ice cream consumption, by gender, 2021
Consumption Occasion
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- Strengthened role of ice cream as in-home snack
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- Figure 37: Consumption occasion, 2017 vs 2021
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- Figure 38: Ben & Jerry’s Netflix Original Flavors, US, 2020
- Having ice cream after meals becomes a ritual
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- Figure 39: Repertoire analysis of purchase channel, by select consumption occasion, 2021
- Growing demand for ice cream in mood lifting
Purchase Channel
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- Offline channels still dominate ice cream purchase
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- Figure 40: Purchase channel, 2021
- New Retail channels see growing importance
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- Figure 41: Purchase channel – select items, by age, 2021
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- Figure 42: Purchase channel – select items, 2020 vs 2021
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- Figure 43: Purchase channel – select items, by city tier, 2020 vs 2021
- Increase channel coverage to reach more consumers
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- Figure 44: Repertoire analysis of purchase channel, by age and monthly personal income, 2021
Ice Cream Preference
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- Consumers have polarised preference towards flavour
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- Figure 45: Ice cream preference – select items, by age, 2021
- Milky and sophisticated ice cream with standard serving size is the mass demand
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- Figure 46: Ice cream preference – select items, 2021
- Emerging brands are more accepted by mature ice cream consumers
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- Figure 47: Ice cream preference – select items, by gender and age, 2021
Desired Attributes
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- Rich texture should be a key NPD direction
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- Figure 48: Desired attributes, 2021
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- Figure 49: A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Flavoured Ice Cream, China, 2020
- Female consumers want “minus” options
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- Figure 50: Desired attributes – select items, by gender, 2021
- Figure 51: Desired attributes – TURF analysis, 2021
- Naturalness is a notable message in product communication
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- Figure 52: New ice cream product launches, by claim category, China, 2016-2020
Consumption Interest
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- Ice cream with fruit pieces attracts most interest
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- Figure 53: Consumption interest, 2021
- Dessert and snack elements can excite consumers
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- Figure 54: Consumption interest – interested in having again or trying, 2021
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- Figure 55: ‘Make My Magnum' kits, UK, 2020
- Low availability doesn’t dampen consumption interest in healthy and plant-based options
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- Figure 56: Consumption interest – have not tried but interested in trying, 2021
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 57: Total retail value sales and forecast of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
- Figure 58: Total retail volume sales and forecast of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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