Ice cream revenues rise but unit sales are melting
Ice cream processors booked greater sales revenues in the last year, but unit sales in the category tumbled 4%. It’s the same for novelties. Frozen yogurt, on the other hand, tells a different story.
Is the constant drumbeat about Americans’ obesity problem taking its toll on sales of frozen dairy indulgences? Or has the product become too expensive in this stagnant economy? Or is there another explanation for the drop in unit sales of ice cream?
As tracked by SymphonyIRI Group, Chicago, the ice cream/sherbet category rose 4.8% to $4.57 billion in the 52 weeks ended June 10, 2012, while unit sales dropped 3.6% to 1.26 billion. The category consists of the following segments: