For years, ice cream has been the go-to treat to help combat the heat, but recent data shows that consumers are warming up to other products.



For years, ice cream has been the go-to treat to help combat the heat, but recent data shows that consumers are warming up to other products.

According to Chicago-based SymphonyIRI, as of May 16, 2010, sales in the ice cream category have dropped 4.9% versus last year, and have only raked in $909 million opposed to its $1,345.5 million figure from last fall.

Private label brands remain No. 1 with $1,001.9 million in sales, followed by Breyer’s in second place at $445.3 million. Dreyer’s Edy’s Slow Churned ranked third thanks to its new lineup of snack size cups and Fun Flavors, which include Double Fudge Brownie, Cookie Dough, Mocha Almond Fudge, Peanut Butter Cup and Apple Pie kinds. Dreyer’s Edy’s Grand and Dreyer’s Edy’s Fun Flavors eked out $165.9 and $118.3 million in sales, respectively, according to SymphonyIRI.

Also in the mix are Ben & Jerry’s with a Key Lime Pie option that helped garner $210.6 million in sales. Likewise, Wells’ Blue Bunny received $126.1 in sales while Turkey Hill captured $122 million, says SymphonyIRI results.

The sherbet and sorbet segment also experienced a cool down in sales by raking in $182.2 million.

As in other categories, private label holds down the No. 1 position. Trailing behind is Häagen-Dazs at $31.8 and Dreyer’s Edy’s at $11.3, SymphonyIRI data says. Snagging the fourth spot at $6.5 million is Whole Fruit produced by J&J Snack Foods for its team of refreshing sorbet options, including Mango, Orange, Lemon and Coconut, among others.

Blue Bell places fifth at $6.5 million as a result of its selection of sherbet quarts, available in Lime, Orange, Pineapple and Rainbow flavors, while Kemps’ nabs sixth place with $5.6 million in sales as a result of its Life Savers brand sherbet.

The frozen yogurt/tofu market also experienced a dip in sales. While Purely Decadent dairy-free frozen dessert from Turtle Mountain saw a 192% uptick in sales since last year, sales for the remainder of the category had plummeted, according to SymphonyIRI.

For example, Kemps’ Live Healthy selection dropped 18.5% while Turkey Hill’s Cold Churned decreased 17.4% since last year, SymphonyIRI data says.

In contrast to other market segments, private label brands took a big hit in sales, claiming the No. 2 spot with a 6.9% drop in sales since last year.

Meanwhile, brands like Ben & Jerry's Lighten Up came in third with a 7.8% decline in sales, while Organic So Delicious, produced by Turtle Mountain, ranked No. 5 with a 3.5% drop in sales since last year.

Although the dip in the market may be temporary, hopefully consumers meander back to the ice cream aisle for a quick cool-down session.