The ice cream and sorbet market - UK
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Study Overview
Ice cream is a food made from from milk, sugar, fruit and a variety of flavours. A sorbet consists solely of sugar syrup and fruit pulp or flavorings. There are different types of ice cream available in shops: cones and sticks (sometimes sold individually), ice cream specialities to share (logs and ice cream cakes) or even fruit tubs and jars of ice cream and sorbets sold in large food stores (e.g. supermarkets). In terms of volume, the home consumption market is dominated by individual specialities (cones, sticks, etc.) and bulk sorbets and ice cream (particularly fruit tubs), with the remainder consisting of seasonal collective specialities (Christmas logs, etc.). It is the snack ice segment that plays the most important role in the sale of ice cream during the summer period and ice cream consumption varies considerably during the year and from one year to the next, depending on the weather conditions. The world market for ice cream and sorbets was estimated at 57.9 billion in 2018. It is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 4.9% between 2019 and 2025 to reach $84.9 billion by 2025. The global market is highly fragmented, but some of the main market players include Unilever, Mars, Nestlé, General Mills, Lotte and Dunkin’ Brands. Ice creams can be categorised in different ways:
Typology (cones, sticks, tubs etc) Flavours Segmentation (choc snacks, luxury ice cream, premium) Plant based or not Artisanal or industrial
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In 2018, 385 million litres of ice cream were consumed by the British. The UK is a net importer of ice cream, regularly importing between three and four times the amount of ice cream it exports. Ice cream imports into the UK mostly come from France, Italy and Germany. The overwhelming favourite ice cream in the UK is the classic Magnum, with almost 30% of Britons admitting preference for this type of ice cream. Vegan ice cream is a segment that is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years (CAGR of 7%) due to consumers' increasing health and ecological concerns. Vanilla is the favourite ice cream flavour for 84% of Britons. The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the ice cream market in the UK. In fact, sales increased by 17%, compared to 2019, with companies like Mackie’s further consolidating a larger share of the national market. After the end of lockdown Britons wanted to be out, and the opening coincided with warmer summer months resulting in increased ice cream consumption.
Key takeaways
- Growth and sector challenges
- Demand analysis
- Market structure and organization
- Supply and pricing analysis
- Player segmentation
- Latest trends and innovations
Our methodology
Our method combines human expertise and a large corpus of sources, including exclusive and private data, for optimal understanding of the sector
Broad source base
- • National, international, and private databases
- • Professional press and polling institutes
- • Industry reports, company financial statements...
Exclusive data
- • Indexpresse sectoral database
- • Preferred Brands database
- • Expert interviews and proprietary indicators
Human expertise
- • Experienced research analysts
- • Know-how developed through 1500+ studies
- • In-depth and rigorous analysis
Visual and actionable reports
- • Graphic studies with synthetic structure
- • Downloadable data
- • Link to original sources
Sommaire
1. Market overview
- 1.1 Definition and scope of the study
- 1.2 The global ice cream market is growing
- 1.3 The growing UK market
- 1.4 Import & Export: Britons prefer foreign ice cream
- 1.5 The Impact of COVID-19
2. Demand Analysis
- 2.1 Seasonality and consumption habits
- 2.2 Preferences in terms of flavours, typology, and brands
- 2.3 On the couch, on the go & at the table: where Britons eat their ice cream
- 2.4 Latest trends in demand
- 2.5 The incessant growth of vegan & plant-based
3. Market structure
- 3.1 Main players
- 3.2 Value chain
- 3.3 Production
- 3.4 Distribution
- 3.5 Different sized manufacturers
4. Analysis of the offer
- 4.1 A huge and varied offer
- 4.2 Prices and production costs
5. Regulation
- 5.1 Production regulations
- 5.2 Selling regulations
The ice cream and sorbet market - UK
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