The state of ice cream: Value leads the pack

As the summer heat rolls in, there's no better time to dive into the latest trends in ice cream. New research reveals insights into how the frozen treat is faring among shoppers. From sales growth to shopping modality, here's a peek into the state of ice cream.  

Sales growth

Ice cream sales are up ~1% compared to the same period last year. This growth is primarily driven by higher dollar sales per unit and per trip, with fewer households purchasing ice cream. 

Pails are growing 

Compared to other container sizes, pails experienced the greatest increase in dollar sales. Dollar sales for pails (~6 quarts) rose by 35%, with a 38% increase in units sold versus year-ago sales.  

Tasty pairings

In 57% of trips where syrup toppings and cones are purchased, so is ice cream.

In-store vs. online

Shoppers spend more when purchasing ice cream in-store but they purchase more units per trip when shopping online for pickup or delivery.  

Methodology

The research draws on insights from 84.51° Stratum, our proprietary database of aggregated data sourced from more than 62 million households that shopped at Kroger in the latest 52 weeks, ending June 8, 2024.  

Download the infographic for more insights.

ACCESS NOW