It shouldn’t be a surprise that ice cream and frozen yogurt sales continue to rake in millions; word on the street is that it’s hot outside. And recent data proves that consumers are cooling off with great volumes of cold treats.
According to Chicago-based Information Resources Inc., private label brands of frozen yogurt have crept into the No. 1 slot, up from No. 2 since last December, bringing in $38.1 million in sales. This suggests two things: frozen yogurt continues to be a growth area, and private labels are growing in popularity among penny-pinching consumers.
Also in the mix are Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned at $27.1 million, Ben & Jerry’s Lighten Up at $20.4 million and Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned Rich & Creamy at $18.5 million. Häagen-Dazs knocked out Organic Soy Delicious, which was slotted at No. 5 last December, down to the No. 6 spot of the frozen yogurt/soy category, followed by Kemps, Blue Bell, Stonyfield Farm, Tofutti, Soy Dream and Purely Decadent.
Private label also is shoveling up sales in the ice cream aisle with nearly $1.04 billion in sales. Trailing behind the No. 5 slot is Ben & Jerry’s, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, Wells’ Blue Bunny, Turkey Hill, Breyers and Tillamook, according to IRI results.
The frozen novelties segment delivered recent sales of nearly $2.4 billion, again with private label holding down the No. 1 position. Following behind is Weight Watchers, thanks to its SmartOnes Signature Sundaes line, which includes such varieties as Peanut Butter Cup, Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Mocha Fudge. Then there’s venerable Nestlé Drumsticks at No. 3, which are now available in Lil’ Drums snack-pack sizes, followed by The Skinny Cow Truffle Bars, Dreyer’s/Edy’s bite-sized frozen snacks and Klondike’s assortment of bars in Original, Reese’s, Oreo and Caramel Pretzel varieties, just to name a few, some boasting a thicker chocolaty shell.
But the sorbet category took a dip, down to $186.7 million, with private label standing at No. 1 with $70.3 million in sales. Häagen-Dazs followed at $35.4 million and Dreyer’s/Edy’s at $11.9 million.
Now, with summer at full boil, consumers are heating up the ice cream and novelty aisles while kicking back and cooling off with some yummy treats.
