The German ice cream market has been on a downwards trend in both volume as well as value sales since mid-decade. The market is worth an estimated €3,016 million in 2009, a fall of 2% on 2008. While sales of impulse ice cream have been declining in both volume and value since 2005, take-home ice cream at least did well in value terms in 2008, profiting both from a general rise in prices and a number of successful premium lines.

While the main thrust of demand is towards indulgent, hedonistic products, suppliers including leaders Unilever with its Langnese brand and Nestlé with Schöller and Mövenpick also launched a number of healthier lines such as low-fat, low-sugar and low-calorie, hoping to widen the consumer base to include more women and elderly Germans.

The German ice cream market has been on a downwards trend in both volume as well as value sales since mid-decade. The market is worth an estimated €3,016 million in 2009, a fall of 2% on 2008. While sales of impulse ice cream have been declining in both volume and value since 2005, take-home ice cream at least did well in value terms in 2008, profiting both from a general rise in prices and a number of successful premium lines.

While the main thrust of demand is towards indulgent, hedonistic products, suppliers including leaders Unilever with its Langnese brand and Nestlé with Schöller and Mövenpick also launched a number of healthier lines such as low-fat, low-sugar and low-calorie, hoping to widen the consumer base to include more women and elderly Germans.

The countries examined within the Consumer Goods Intelligence series of reports are France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.