Sales of ice cream and frozen novelties grew only 9% from 2008 through 2013 to $11.2 billion. A slow climb, according to Chicago-based Mintel, that equates to a loss of 1% when adjusted for inflation. Ice cream is the leading segment in the ice cream and frozen novelties category, boosted by its familiarity, said Mintel, but an expanding array of frozen treats could be affecting growth.
Keeping with this slow growth, the ice cream/sherbet category showed dollar sales up 1.1% to $6.1 billion, with units also up 1.1% to 1.6 billion, in the 52 weeks ended May 18, 2014, according to data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago. In the same time period, the frozen novelties category saw dollar sales drop 2.5% to $4.5 billion, and units fell 4.1% to 1.5 billion.