Ice cream is big business in the United States. According to the Washington, D.C.-based International Dairy Foods Association, it is an $11 billion industry that supports 26,000 direct jobs and generates $1.6 billion in direct wages.
But consumers have been purchasing a bit less of the frozen treat — at least at the packaged retail level — recent sales data suggest. Dollar sales in the ice cream/sherbet category dropped 0.8% during the 52 weeks ending April 21, 2019, to $6,809.6 million, data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI show. Unit sales took a 0.5% dive to 1,801.6 million.