2025
0
Japan Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts Trends Report 2025
2025-03-27T14:31:14+00:00
REPBAA4041A_7C90_4E19_A5D3_6BF2B401999B
3695
190424
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Inflation is just one factor behind post-pandemic growth in the ice cream and frozen desserts market. With consumers keen to follow healthy diets – particularly so in Europe – there…
Japan
Desserts and Ice Cream
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Japan Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts Trends Report 2025

Inflation is just one factor behind post-pandemic growth in the ice cream and frozen desserts market.

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  1. Executive summary

    • Key points covered in this Report
    • Overview, scope of this Report, targets and definitions
    • Global market overview and trends
    • Market overview
    • Trends in major industries
    • Attention-grabbing trends
    • Overview of the Japanese market and consumers
    • Key market factors and noteworthy trends
    • Consumer insights
    • Opportunities in the Japanese market
    • Key market opportunities
  2. GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW

    • Four topics regarding global key market factors
    • Key market factors for ice cream
    • Inflation behind retail sales growth
    • Graph 1: ice cream retail sales (in USD), 2023
    • Graph 2: ice cream retail sales index trend (in local currency)*, 2019-24
    • Inconsistency in sales volume trends
    • Graph 3: ice cream retail market segmentation by volume, 2023
    • Graph 4: ice cream retail market sales volume index trends*, 2019-24
    • Price of ice cream soars
    • Graph 5: trends in unit sales price index per litre (in local currency)*, 2019-24
    • Per capita sales volume falling in the UK
    • Graph 6: per capita sales volume index trends*, 2019-24
    • Packaging preferences differ across Europe, North America and Japan
    • Graph 7: ice cream retail market sales volume, by packaging, 2022
    • Cups/tubs dominate new launches in the US and Europe
    • Graph 8: formats of new ice cream and frozen sweet products*, 2023-24
    • New Zealand no. 1 in the world for per capita ice cream consumption
    • Graph 9: per capita annual consumption (2023)
    • Key market factors for frozen desserts
    • US drives the frozen dessert market
    • Graph 10: dessert retail sales (in USD), 2020
    • Graph 11: desserts retail market segmentation by value (in local currency), 2020
    • US drives the frozen dessert market
    • Graph 12: dessert retail sales by volume, 2020
    • Graph 13: dessert retail market segmentation by volume (in local currency), 2020
    • Consumption of frozen desserts remains level, except in the US
    • Graph 14: frozen dessert sales volume trends, 2017-21
    • Ice cream and frozen desserts industry trends
    • BFY food recommendations
    • Efforts to raise cold chain temperatures
    • The advent of a powerful ice cream company
    • Tech innovation trends
    • Sugar reduction technologies and alternative sugar ingredients
    • Expanding opportunities for precision fermentation
    • Evolving freezing technology
    • Uses of AI technology
  3. Global trends

    • Global trends impacting the future of the industry
    • Consumers want functional ice cream
    • Functional ice cream market currently lacks momentum
    • Graph 15: trends in functional claims for new ice cream products, 2019-24
    • Examples of products with functional claims
    • Dark clouds over the plant-based ice cream market
    • Plant-based offerings yet to penetrate the market
    • Graph 16: [no title]
    • Plant-based offerings yet to penetrate the market
    • Graph 17: trends in the prevalence of plant-based ice cream* among new products, 2019–24
    • Time for a revamp: plant-based ice cream not offering enough value
    • Graph 18: consumers affected by these issues in the past two months, 2023
    • UPF scrutiny ushers in signs of a naturalness revival
    • UPF receives heightened scrutiny from inside and outside the industry
    • Graph 19: trends in the prevalence of natural claims in new ice cream products*, 2019-24
    • Natural ingredients motivate purchasing in a certain proportion of consumers
    • Graph 20: top 3 important factors when shopping for food* – natural ingredients, % agree, 2020-24
    • Ice cream with 100% natural ingredients
    • Expected innovations in ice cream
    • Expectations for new ice cream flavours
    • Graph 21: consumers who look for new foods to try* ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’, 2020-24
    • Graph 22: factors influencing purchase when choosing ice cream as a treat for oneself – flavour I haven’t tried before, & agree, 2023
    • Novelty backed by familiarity
    • Graph 23: consumers who buy local food products* ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’, 2020-24
    • Transcending categories with well-known brand collabs
    • Emerging brand collaborations
    • Proposing new eating habits/behaviours
    • New taste combinations expand product flavours
    • Retro revival
  4. Japanese market overview

    • Key Japanese market factors
    • Record-high retail sales due to sales price hikes
    • Ice cream: retail sales reach record high, but sales volume is plateauing
    • Graph 24: trends in ice cream retail sales, 2016-24
    • Graph 25: ice cream sales volume trends, 2016-24
    • Frozen desserts: retail sales grow, but sales volume is flat
    • Graph 26: frozen desserts retail sales trends, 2020-22
    • Graph 27: trends in sales volume of frozen sweets, 2020-22
    • Ice cream spending continues to grow more than spending on other Western confections
    • Graph 28: ice cream consumption rate within the past six months, by gender and age, 2024
    • Graph 29: expenditure per item by total households (Family Income and Expenditure Survey), 2014-23
    • Prices continue to rise
    • Graph 30: Consumer Price Index trends (based on 2020), 2020-24
    • Household income showing no signs of increase
    • Graph 31: average household income, 2003-22
    • Price-consciousness transcends age and gender
    • Graph 32: important factors when choosing ice cream in store, 2024
    • Direction of added value
    • Adding value with careful selection of milk
    • Vanilla and chocolate are favourites in Japan
    • Graph 33: flavour preferences, 2024
    • Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla followed by new flavours
    • Graph 34: flavour trends in new ice cream* launches, 2019-24
    • Health-consciousness as added value
    • Low/reduced sugar isn’t a top priority for shoppers
    • Graph 35: top 3 important factors when shopping for food* – low sugar, % agree, 2019-24
    • Consumers conscious of not eating enough healthy food
    • Graph 36: frequency of eating healthily* – ‘all of the time’ or ‘most of the time’, % agree, 2020-24
    • Strong connection between dairy products and health benefits
    • Graph 37: understanding of health benefits*, 2023
    • Consumers look for products contributing to intake of fruit, veg and nutrients (eg protein and dietary fibre)
    • Graph 38: top three important factors to consider when food shopping*, 2024
    • Plant-based ice cream still has limited presence in Japan
    • Graph 39: trends in the sub-category segmentation of new ice cream* product launches, 2019-24
    • Examples of plant-based ice cream in Japan
    • Novelty backed by familiarity
    • Collabs and retro styles stimulating purchase intent
    • Expanding flavour–texture combinations
    • Overseas companies and start-ups enter the market
    • Taking a different approach to market entry
    • New market arrivals
  5. Japanese consumer insights

    • Key consumer insights
    • Glossary
    • Price-conscious ice cream users welcome new added value
    • Price-sensitivity doesn’t significantly affect ice cream consumption
    • Graph 40: price-consciousness*, 2024
    • Graph 41: important factors for ice cream and/or frozen dessert choice, by consumption of packaged ice cream or frozen desserts – cheap price is important, % agree, 2024
    • Concern over ice cream prices linked to interest in a range of flavours
    • Graph 42: flavour and texture preferences, by price-consciousness*, 2024
    • Price-conscious consumers have various clear reasons for eating ice cream
    • Graph 43: important factors for ice cream and/or frozen dessert choice, by reason for consumption – cheap price is important*, % agree, 2024
    • Younger and lower-income households concerned about ice cream prices
    • Graph 44: concern over the price of ice cream, by gender and age*, 2024
    • Graph 45: important factors for ice cream and/or frozen dessert choice – cheap price, % agree, by household income*, 2024
    • Dynamic consumption and future ice cream consumption
    • Graph 46: important factors for ice cream and/or frozen dessert choice, by expected change in household spending for coming six months – cheap price is important, % agree, 2024
    • Flavour preferences depend on motivations and occasions
    • About half of ice cream consumers enjoy four or more flavours
    • Graph 47: number of favourite flavours for packaged ice cream or frozen desserts (repertoire analysis*), 2024
    • Heavy users prefer many flavours
    • Graph 48: number of favourite flavours for packaged ice cream or frozen desserts, by user type* (repertoire analysis**), 2024
    • Light users are motivated by fewer factors
    • Graph 49: type of reasons for consumption, by user type* (repertoire analysis**), 2024
    • Fans of rich ice cream flavours indulge for a variety of reasons
    • Graph 50: reason for consumption, by flavour and texture preferences, 2024
    • Occasion-specific expectations for ice cream
    • Graph 51: reason for consumption, by eating occasion, 2024
    • Flavour preferences change according to occasion
    • Graph 52: flavour and texture preferences, by eating occasion, 2024
    • Acceptance and expectations for plant-based ice cream
    • Plant-based ice cream is a low priority
    • Graph 53: frequency of consumption of various ice creams, 2024
    • Women reward themselves with ice cream
    • Graph 54: important factors for ice cream and/or frozen dessert choice, by age and gender – cheap price is important, % agree, 2024
    • The gap between plant-based ice cream consumption and market needs
    • Graph 55: plant-based ice cream user type*, by gender and age, 2024
    • Enjoying both dairy and plant-based ice cream
    • Graph 56: consumption of various ice cream types by heavy users* of plant-based ice cream, 2024
    • Graph 57: consumption of various ice cream types by heavy users* of dairy ice cream, 2024
    • Majority of health-conscious consumers have tried plant-based ice cream
    • Graph 58: plant-based ice cream user type**, by health-consciousness*, 2024
    • Health-conscious shoppers expect big things from ice cream
    • Graph 59: reason for consumption, by health-consciousness*, 2024
    • Heavy users of plant-based ice cream tempted by indulgent feel
    • Graph 60: attractive flavour/features of ice cream and frozen desserts, by user type* – feels like a guilty indulgence, % agree, 2024
    • Solo consumption of plant-based ice cream and health claims
    • Graph 61: eating occasions, by user type* – socialising with friends or family, % agree, 2024
  6. Opportunities in the Japanese market

    • Market opportunities
    • Offer ice cream that satisfies the mind and body
    • Expectations for nutritional claims in ice cream
    • Ingredient and nutrient claims in ice cream
    • Fuse function and emotional value
    • Fusing function and emotional value – insights from traditional medicine-inspired offerings
    • New ice cream products: example concepts
    • Redefine ice cream with enhanced occasions
    • Tempt light and non-users with reasons and occasions to indulge
    • Leverage sleep support and other benefits
    • Pioneer new ice cream occasions
    • Graph 62: eating occasions, by gender and age, 2024
    • Encourage interest with limited-edition offerings
    • Graph 63: flavours/features seen as attractive in an ice cream, 2024
    • Japanese people drawn to limited-edition products
    • Graph 64: flavour trial and attitudes* – I like trying limited-edition flavours, % agree, 2023
    • New ice cream products: example concepts
    • Frame ice cream as a delicious way to get enough nutrients
    • Fruit and veg intake is a top priority, but purchases and consumption are still lagging
    • Graph 65: top factors when shopping for food (top 3 priorities)* – contributes to your fruit/vegetable intake, % agree, 2020-24
    • Graph 66: annual per capita supply of net food**, 1992-2022
    • Growing demand for frozen fruit and veg
    • Leverage ice cream that addresses malnutrition issues faced by seniors
    • Offer ice creams that evokes meals or specific ingredients
    • New ice cream products: example concepts
  7. APPENDIX

    • Research and analysis methods
Download Report Summary

Key Points Covered in this Report

  • The global ice cream and frozen desserts market: key market factors and trends
  • Japan’s ice cream and frozen desserts market: key market factors and trends
  • Insights into Japanese consumer attitudes and behaviour towards ice cream and frozen desserts
  • Business opportunities and considerations in the Japanese ice cream and frozen desserts market

Inflation is just one factor behind post-pandemic growth in the ice cream and frozen desserts market. With consumers keen to follow healthy diets – particularly so in Europe – there are signs that the health-consciousness wave is also hitting discretionary products like ice cream. Japanese consumers tend to seek emotional value from products like ice cream, which they often buy as a self-treat; for brands, a fusion of functional and emotional value is key.

Kimiaki Yamamoto, Associate Director – Food and Drink, Japan

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