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- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 01/04/2021
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
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
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.
1.2 The global ice cream market is growing
The global market for ice cream and sorbets was estimated at $**.* billion in ****. It is projected to grow at a CAGR (***) of *.*% between **** and **** to reach $**.* billion in ****.
World ice cream and sorbet market World, ****-*****, in billions of dollars Source : DPO
This growth is explained by the development and ...
1.3 The growing UK market
In the UK the retail value of ice cream has been increasing for over a decade. The same cannot be said for the retail volume of ice cream in the UK, which has fluctuated. In **** the retail value and volume of this market were estimated at *** million GBP and *** million litres, ...
1.4 Import & Export: Britons prefer foreign ice cream
The stereotypes and anecdotes of the poor quality of British cuisine seem to extend within the reality of the ice cream market. The UK historically imports a lot of ice cream from abroad (***). However, the UK also exports its own ice creams throughout the world.
Using the UN Comtrade database, and ...
1.5 The Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-** pandemic and ensuing economic fallout had a significant impact on the ice cream market in the UK. However, unlike most other markets and economic segments ice cream sales actually increased, and the market as a whole grew. This can be attributed to different reasons:
Families are the main consumers ...
2 Demand Analysis
2.1 Seasonality and consumption habits
As mentioned earlier, summers and periods of warm weather represent the most important period for the consumption of ice cream. The particularly warm summer of **** saw a boost in sales which the relatively cooler summer of **** did not benefit. It is estimated that the period of time between mid-May and end ...
2.2 Preferences in terms of flavours, typology, and brands
According to a recent survey by the Ice Cream Associations vanilla is overwhelmingly the preferred ice cream flavour in the UK, followed by chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate chip and cookie dough. Ice cream sellers confirmed this preference with **% of them stating that vanilla was their most sold flavour.
Ice creams, and ...
2.3 On the couch, on the go & at the table: where Britons eat their ice cream
In a survey conducted by TheGrocerUK, it was revealed where British people consume their ice cream. * situations/locations were possible answers to this survey (***). Respondents could pick more than one answer as they were not mutually exclusive. Over **% of responders said they eat their ice cream on the couch or on ...
2.4 Latest trends in demand
The latest consumer trends are quite varied concerning the ice cream market in the UK: they range from nutritional characteristics, to flavour, to typology of ice cream and much more.
As one may expect, as more people become acutely aware of their diets, a shift toward lower-calorie, low sugar, no preservatives/colourants ...
2.5 The incessant growth of vegan & plant-based
The desire for plant based & vegan ice creams are increasing worldwide
Consumers in the UK are becoming more and more conscious about what they eat and this is no different regarding their ice creams.
In the UK, the vegan ice cream market is expected to show a swift CAGR of *% for ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Main players
The ice cream market in the UK is dominated by well known international brands, which are part of large global groups. In **** the most valuable brands were Magnum, Ben&Jerry's, Haagen Dasz and Carte D'Or.
Most valuable ice cream brands and year-on-year growth UK, ****, in millions of £ and % Source: ****
NB The ...
3.2 Value chain
Source: ****
The challenge in the production and distribution of ice cream and sorbets is not to break the cold chain. Products must be kept at a temperature of -** °C or below. Ice creams or sorbets must be kept at -** °C until they are delivered to the consumer.
3.3 Production
The production of ice cream is structured around * steps:
*) The different raw materials (***) are mixed and then pressurised. The mixing is carried out at a temperature of -*°C.
*) The mixture is churned slowly for about ** hours in order to make the "ice cream" homogeneous.
*) Then comes the ...
3.4 Distribution
In the UK the distribution and sale of ice creams is highly concentrated. In fact, mass retailers buy almost **% of the production of ice cream in the UK. Tesco is the main seller with **.*% of market share, followed by Sainbury's with **.*% and ASDA with **%.
Market share of ice cream distribution UK, ...
3.5 Different sized manufacturers
In the UK, ice cream manufacturers can be categorised by their overall turnover. A large minority finds themselves between the £***.***-£***.*** annual turnover. In **** there were no manufacturers with a turnover superior to £*** million.
Share of ice cream producers by annual turnover UK, ****, in % Source: ****
4 Analysis of the offer
4.1 A huge and varied offer
The structure of the offer
The ice cream and sorbet market offers a wide range of products, differentiated by many factors:
Flavour;
Typology;
Cones Tubs (***) Bars Sticks Mini format (***)
Segmentation;
Choc snacks Luxury ice cream Premium ice cream Kids Cones/Sticks Standard Adult refresh Individual dessert
Vegan/plant-based or not;
Artisanal ...
4.2 Prices and production costs
From **** to **** in the UK, the average price for ice cream has fluctuated. Over this period of time the average price per liter of ice cream was £*.**, peaking in **** at £*.** per litre and hitting a low of £*.* per liter in ****.
Average price per litre of ice cream UK, ****-****, in £ per ...
5 Regulation
5.1 Production regulations
UK regulations, in accordance with the Ice Cream Alliance (***), set out very clear specifications for what qualifies as ice cream, dairy ice cream, sorbet etc.
Ice creams are exclusively categorised as a frozen product containing a minimum of *% fat content and no less than *.*% milk protein 'not necessarily in natural proportions'. ...
5.2 Selling regulations
To sell ice cream (***) a specific licence is needed.
If an ice cream shop has chairs on the sidewalk or pavement a street trader's licence is needed If you are a vendor from a bicycle, motorcycle or four-wheel vehicle the same licence is needed (***), the case is the same for kiosks ...
6 Positioning of the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Unilever
- Nestlé Groupe
- Tesco
- Sainsburys
- Aldi
- General Mills
- Marks & Spencer
List of charts
- Average price of one ice cream scoop
- World ice cream and sorbet market
- UK manufacturer's volume and evolution of ice cream sales
- UK manufacturer's sales and evolution of sales of ice cream
- Total revenues of the ice cream market
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the ice cream and sorbet market | UK
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