China Ice Cream Market Report 2021
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Report Summary
“Packaged ice cream benefits from rising in-home consumption after the COVID-19 outbreak, aided by growing product availability from online and New Retail channels. Various consumption occasions beyond chilling out indicate the opportunity to strengthen the role of ice cream as an in-home snack and comfort food to break the seasonal limit on consumption. Plant-based and better-for-you options may help brands further expand their audience to health-conscious consumers.”
– Roolee Lu, Senior Research Analyst
This report will look at the following areas:
- Future market outlook and growth prospects in the next five years
- Latest new product trends and growth opportunities
- Changes in product penetration and consumption occasions
- Shift in purchase journey after COVID-19 and implications on channel choices
- Desired attributes and attitudes towards product innovation
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Covered in this Report
- Excluded
- Definition
- What you need to know
-
Executive Summary
-
- The market
- Figure 1: Best-and worst-case forecast of total value sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
-
- Figure 2: Best-and worst-case forecast of total retail volume sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
- Companies and brands
- Leading players are facing competition from emerging and smaller brands
- Figure 3: Leading ice cream companies, by value share, 2019-2020
- Clean label products are on the rise while plant-based options appear in the market
- The consumer
- Further increased penetration of both packaged and freshly-made ice cream
- Figure 4: Ice cream consumption, 2021
- Growing demand for ice cream as after meal dessert and comfort food
- Figure 5: Consumption occasion, 2017 vs 2021
- O2O retailers have seen fast growing popularity with elevated convenience
- Figure 6: Purchase channel, 2021
- Consumers in agreement on milky and sophisticated ice cream
- Figure 7: Ice cream preference – select items, 2021
- Opportunities in products with touchpoints on naturalness
- Figure 8: Desired attributes, 2021
- Utilise plant-based and healthy options to expand the audience
- Figure 9: Consumption interest, 2021
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Strengthen the snack feature to break seasonal limits
- The facts
- The implications
- Figure 10: Häagen-Dazs x Secret Cinema “Secret Sofa”, UK, 2020
- Figure 11: Chicecream’s Gao, China, 2021
- Take advantage of New Retail to provide timely indulgence with elevated convenience
- The facts
- The implications
- Figure 12: Product examples of ice creams cobranded with Hema, China, 2020-2021
- Plant-based options offer balance between health and indulgence
- The facts
- The implications
- Figure 13: Product examples of plant-based ice creams, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany, 2021
- Strengthen the snack feature to break seasonal limits
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The Market – Market Size and Forecast
- Ice cream has witnessed increased demand after the COVID-19 outbreak
- Figure 14: Best-and worst-case forecast of total value sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
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- Figure 15: Best-and worst-case forecast of total retail volume sales of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
- Ice cream has witnessed increased demand after the COVID-19 outbreak
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Market Factors
- Shift to in-home occasions after COVID-19
- Figure 16: Change in spending on in-home food and eating out – spent more, 2020-2021
- Wide spread emotional issues raise the demand for comfort foods
- Figure 17: Emotional issues, 2021
- Standardisation in cold chain transportation
- Shift to in-home occasions after COVID-19
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Key Players – Market Share
- The market structure of leading players remains stable…
- Figure 18: Leading ice cream companies, by value share, 2019-2020
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- Figure 19: Leading ice cream companies, by volume share, 2019-2020
- …but they face competition from emerging and smaller brands
- Figure 20: Examples of ice cream from convenience stores on Xiaohongshu, China, 2021
- The market structure of leading players remains stable…
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Marketing Activities
- Utilise crossovers to excite consumers and encourage consumption
- Figure 21: Product examples of cobranded ice creams, China, 2020-2021
- Capitalising on young generations with celebrity endorsements
- Figure 22: Celebrity endorsements for Deluxe and Magnum, China, 2021
- Borrow haloes from star products
- Figure 23: Product examples of ice creams from brand extensions, China and UK, 2020-2021
- Create resonance with consumers via nostalgia marketing
- Figure 24: Su He Shan x Qu Yi Xian Five-year College Entrance Examination & Three-year Practice fresh milk and mango flavour ice cream, China, 2021
- Figure 25: Product examples of ice creams with childhood flavours, China, 2020-2021
- Utilise crossovers to excite consumers and encourage consumption
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New Product Trends
- Clean label and ethical products are on the rise
- Figure 26: Top claims of new ice cream product launches, China, 2016-2020
- Figure 27: Product examples of ice creams with natural claims, China, 2020
- Figure 28: Product examples of ice creams with ethical claims, China, 2020-2021
- Plant-based ice cream has growing presence
- Figure 29: New products launches in ice cream, by subcategory, China, 2016-2020
- Figure 30: Product examples of vegan and plant-based ice creams, China, 2020-2021
- Cultural appearance under the trend of eating with eyes
- Figure 31: Product examples of cultural and creative ice creams, China, 2021
- Expand ice cream audience to dogs
- Figure 32: Product examples of ice cream for dogs, US, 2021
- Clean label and ethical products are on the rise
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The Consumer – Ice Cream Consumption
- Increased user penetration across different product types
- Figure 33: Ice cream consumption, 2021
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- Figure 34: Change in ice cream consumption, 2017 vs 2021
- Freshly-made ice cream benefits from increased availability
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- Figure 35: Freshly-made ice creams from tea houses, China, 2020-2021
- Consumers in their late 20s and with mid-to-high income are the key audience
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- Figure 36: Ice cream consumption, by gender, 2021
- Increased user penetration across different product types
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Consumption Occasion
- Strengthened role of ice cream as in-home snack
- Figure 37: Consumption occasion, 2017 vs 2021
-
- Figure 38: Ben & Jerry’s Netflix Original Flavors, US, 2020
- Having ice cream after meals becomes a ritual
- Figure 39: Repertoire analysis of purchase channel, by select consumption occasion, 2021
- Growing demand for ice cream in mood lifting
- Strengthened role of ice cream as in-home snack
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Purchase Channel
- Offline channels still dominate ice cream purchase
- Figure 40: Purchase channel, 2021
- New Retail channels see growing importance
- Figure 41: Purchase channel – select items, by age, 2021
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- Figure 42: Purchase channel – select items, 2020 vs 2021
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- Figure 43: Purchase channel – select items, by city tier, 2020 vs 2021
- Increase channel coverage to reach more consumers
- Figure 44: Repertoire analysis of purchase channel, by age and monthly personal income, 2021
- Offline channels still dominate ice cream purchase
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Ice Cream Preference
- Consumers have polarised preference towards flavour
- Figure 45: Ice cream preference – select items, by age, 2021
- Milky and sophisticated ice cream with standard serving size is the mass demand
- Figure 46: Ice cream preference – select items, 2021
- Emerging brands are more accepted by mature ice cream consumers
- Figure 47: Ice cream preference – select items, by gender and age, 2021
- Consumers have polarised preference towards flavour
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Desired Attributes
- Rich texture should be a key NPD direction
- Figure 48: Desired attributes, 2021
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- Figure 49: A-Chino Brown Sugar Boba Flavoured Ice Cream, China, 2020
- Female consumers want “minus” options
- Figure 50: Desired attributes – select items, by gender, 2021
- Figure 51: Desired attributes – TURF analysis, 2021
- Naturalness is a notable message in product communication
- Figure 52: New ice cream product launches, by claim category, China, 2016-2020
- Rich texture should be a key NPD direction
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Consumption Interest
- Ice cream with fruit pieces attracts most interest
- Figure 53: Consumption interest, 2021
- Dessert and snack elements can excite consumers
- Figure 54: Consumption interest – interested in having again or trying, 2021
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- Figure 55: ‘Make My Magnum’ kits, UK, 2020
- Low availability doesn’t dampen consumption interest in healthy and plant-based options
- Figure 56: Consumption interest – have not tried but interested in trying, 2021
- Ice cream with fruit pieces attracts most interest
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Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 57: Total retail value sales and forecast of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
- Figure 58: Total retail volume sales and forecast of ice cream, China, 2015-2025
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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