While the European ice cream market grows fairly well, a closer look at the figures reveals that many of the most developed nations are peaking, with expansion strongly concentrated on emerging markets. This trend is paralleled by the greying of the population in the advanced countries; old people eat less ice cream. The product can meet with disapproval from nutritionists, whose advice is often heeded by older consumers, though ignored by many of the younger age groups.

While the European ice cream market grows fairly well, a closer look at the figures reveals that many of the most developed nations are peaking, with expansion strongly concentrated on emerging markets. This trend is paralleled by the greying of the population in the advanced countries; old people eat less ice cream. The product can meet with disapproval from nutritionists, whose advice is often heeded by older consumers, though ignored by many of the younger age groups.

Key points

Ice cream enjoys a special status, being both a snack and a well-established component of a full meal. As a milk-based food, it can also be easily regarded as nutritious. Furthermore, its credentials as a hedonistic snack, allowed on rare occasions to break normal dietary rules, also mean that a good number of consumers are ready to overlook its high fat content. Suppliers are therefore more immune to the tricky question that their counterparts in other sectors have to face: whether to reduce fat to appease nutritionists, thereby alienating the many consumers who then complain of loss of taste. Will the image of ice cream still be maintained in the current climate of increasing health awareness? Will its claims soon become polarized, with ice cream products being branded either as healthy or hedonistic, but not both?

However, this seeming immunity to health concerns comes at a price. Young people are the biggest fans of ice cream, and are also the target group least likely to worry about their health. With populations in the most developed nations ageing, growth prospects are narrowed. How can suppliers rethink recipes in order to retain customers as they age?

The strength of the competition to industrial produce from the artisanal channel is also a special characteristic of the ice cream market. In other food markets, notably bakery and butchery, artisanal traders are fast being squeezed out by large-scale industry, and by the big retail chains. In this market, however, artisans still hold a large share of sales in many countries, and are often even managing to increase their market share. This success is down to several factors: the freshness of the product, the ability of consumers to mix from a large range of flavours and toppings, as well as the extra fun of eating in the open air outside the ice cream parlour. How can ice cream maintain its artisanal appeal?

On the other hand, suppliers of instant lines need to address the following question: do they tackle this competition head on via innovation and premium quality, or do they sidestep it, moving further towards bulk and own-label produce?