Retail ice cream sales might not have being eating fire this year, but they certainly have been on fire. Over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, 2020, dollar sales in the ice cream subcategory of the larger ice cream/sherbet category were up 13.4% (to $6,841.8 million), while unit sales increased by 8.4% (to 1,703.6 million), according to data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI.
The frozen novelties subcategory also has been heating up, with dollar sales soaring 16.0% (to $5,784.1 million) and unit sales jumping 9.1% (to 1,650.6 million).