Ice Cream Sales & Trends

Just the Facts

About 1.52 billion gallons of ice cream, including both hard and soft-serve, was produced in 2009, a decrease of 1.2 percent over 2008. Representing approximately 26.2 percent of the entire frozen dairy product market, low-fat and nonfat ice cream production decreased by 0.2 percent in 2009.
Based on ice cream consumption figures, the top five individual flavors in terms of share of segment in the United States are: vanilla (27.8%), chocolate (14.3%), strawberry (3.3%), chocolate chip (3.3%) and butter pecan (2.8%). Source: The NPD Group's National Eating Trends In-Home Database
Ice cream and related frozen desserts are consumed by more than 90 percent of households in the United States. Source: Mintel

Production of the largest category, regular ice cream (60.5 percent), decreased by 1.1 percent in 2009. Production of water ice and “other frozen dairy products,”(which includes products such as sorbet), were the only categories that showed growth according to Department of Agriculture statistics; water ice increased by 0.8 percent and other frozen dairy products increased by 2.8 percent over 2008. Together, they represent about 5 percent of frozen dairy products.
California continued to lead the United States in output of frozen dairy desserts in 2009, at over 169 million gallons, or approximately 11.1 percent of the U.S. total, an increase of 1.1 percent over 2008.
Frozen dairy production follows a clear seasonal pattern. Summer is the unchallenged season for eating ice cream and other related products. Production kicks up in March and April to fi ll retail and foodservice pipelines in the late spring and early summer. June is the highest production month of the year, but production remains strong through August to satisfy summer demand. Production declines through the end of the year.

Frozen dessert consumption declined slightly in 2009, with total per capita sales decreasing by 1.0 percent to 19.1 quarts in 2009. More than 90 percent of American households purchase ice cream, so manufacturers closely monitor and react to changes in consumer preferences in order to keep and grow their shares in this relatively mature market.
The frozen dessert market is predominantly one of ice cream, comprising approximately 86.7 percent of total volume; the rest of the category includes frozen yogurt, water ices and sherbet. USDA divides ice cream into two categories: “regular” and “low-fat/nonfat"; as well as by hard and soft varieties. Regular ice cream represents 60.5 percent of the total hard and soft ice cream market, about 12 quarts per capita. Low-fat and nonfat ice cream represents 26.2 percent of the total hard and soft ice cream market, about 5.2 quarts per capita in 2009.
With almost 27.8 percent of the market, vanilla remains the most popular flavor of ice cream eaten at home according to a database of in-home eating trends. However, chocolate is growing in popularity, moving from 10.4 percent in popularity in 2008 to 14.3 percent in 2009.

Novelties are separately packaged single servings of a frozen dessert - such as ice cream sandwiches, fudge sticks, fruit and juice bars - that may or may not contain dairy ingredients.
Vending machine sales of frozen novelties in 2009 totaled $886 million Source: Vending Times, Census of the Industry 2009

Total U.S. exports of ice cream reached more than 59,500 metric tons in 2009 - worth about $63 million. Source: USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service
In 2009, Mexico was the single largest market for U.S. frozen dessert exports, with an estimated value of $25.8 million. Canada was the number two destination for U.S. frozen dessert exports, valued at $7.4 million. The Bahamas ($2.4 million), Trinidad and Tobago ($1.8 million) and Jamaica ($1.6 million) are third, fourth and fifth respectively. Source: USDA/ Foreign Agricultural Service

* Latest figures available to the International Ice Cream Association