Global ice cream volume sales increased by 4% between 2014 and 2015 to reach 15.6 billion litres, although sales are struggling in the established markets of the US and Europe

Growth in the Chinese market remains strong, and Brazil recorded an eye-catching 15% volume growth between 2014 and 2015

The consumer appetite for innovation remains sizeable in developed markets, offering a blueprint to reignite sales

The global ice cream market continues to enjoy robust growth, with volumes up by 4% between 2014 and 2015 to reach 15.6 billion litres. The primary driver of this growth is uptake in emerging regions like Brazil and China, which now accounts for two fifths of global ice cream sales, mainly thanks to rising incomes. Growth in these regions has helped to offset declines in established markets like the US, Canada and UK. Americans bought 59 million fewer litres of ice cream in 2015 than they did in 2014, marking the sixth year of annual volume decline. The US performance illustrates how consumers in developed ice cream markets are curbing their intake of sugary food, amid ongoing publicity about the link between sugar and obesity. Perhaps signalling lower confidence in the market, North America was the only global region to see a lower number of ice cream launches in 2015, than in 2014. The fact that one in five US consumers reported buying fewer frozen treats in 2015 because they were unhealthy, illustrates how manufacturers can no longer rely on ice cream’s indulgent image alone to secure growth.

Having recorded an increase in activity each year since at least 2011, the number of global ice cream launches increased again between 2014 and 2015. In emerging regions like Asia Pacific and South America, innovation is flourishing and manufacturers are responding to the increasingly sophisticated demands of consumers. An example of this is how premium claims among ice cream launches in Asia have gradually increased from 9% in 2013, to 12% in 2014 and 14% in 2015. Brazil is worth noting for its impressive 15% jump in volume growth between 2014 and 2015, as brands invest in higher-priced segments, such as gourmet and healthy products. Unilever revealed in 2015 that Brazil is its second biggest market, after the US, and it must be relishing the inevitable surge in demand brought about by the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

And although mature markets like France, Germany and Japan are seeing fairly flat growth, there remains a huge consumer appetite to see new innovation ideas, presenting a means to revitalize growth. The ice cream market is a hotbed of innovation and trends are emerging from one part of the world to inspire innovation in another, as seen with the proliferation of mochi ice cream and gelato.

Figure 1: global market performance, ice cream

Source: Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), Economist Intelligence Unit, IBGE, The National Institute of Statistics of Chile (INE), China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry, Information Resources, Inc., Les E.G.S., Office of the Economic Advisor - Ministry of Commerce & Industry - Government of India, Japan Ice Cream Association, NVC, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau/Mintel

* Please note: the market size data referenced in this report is current as of January 31, 2016