It looks like there's a light at the end of the tunnel for ice cream makers. Quarterly sales have gradually improved, and unit sales have crossed over into a growth pattern for the most recent two quarters. Meanwhile, the cheese and yogurt categories are whizzing along, with some stalwart brands in both arenas really burning up the road. And as with ice cream, there may be some hope for orange juice.
The most recent numbers from Information Resources Inc., show that the ice cream-exclusive subcategory (this does not include sherbet or novelties), grew by 0.7% in the 13 weeks ended Dec. 26, 2004, and by 0.4% for the period ended March 27. That's not much, but it is better than the shrinkage that occurred in at least four quarters prior. Dollar sales have been growing for a longer period. All the figures referenced in this article represent food, drugstore and mass merchandiser retail sales, but do not include convenience channels, foodservice or Wal-Mart.