While once a standard tub of vanilla would suffice, new research from Mintel finds things are hotting up in the freezer cabinet as frozen yogurt gives ice cream a run for its money. The warm summer of 2013 provided a significant boost to the ice cream market with a more than 7% year-on-year rise in values when sales jumped from £1.04bn in 2012 to £1.12bn in 2013 and a more than 4% increase in volumes from 340m litres in 2012 to 352m litres in 2013. But while value sales of ice cream are estimated to have risen 5% between 2011 and 2014 to reach £1.10bn, volume sales are estimated to have fallen 3% over the same period to an estimated 345m litres. And as ice cream falls out of flavour with the nation, things are things are looking pretty sweet for frozen yogurt, the relatively new kid on the block. Indeed, value sales of frozen yogurt are estimated to have grown a cool 117% between 2011 and 2014 to reach £13m.
Volume sales have been even more impressive as sales are estimated to have tripled growing from 1m litres in 2011 to 3m litres in 2014. Although niche, Mintel’s research highlights the popularity of frozen yogurt with the nation – over one in 10 (13%) Brits have bought frozen yogurt in the past year alone. While frozen yogurt benefits from a healthier image, in contrast, three in 10 (30%) people deem ice cream to be unhealthy. Meanwhile, a third (35%) of all users worry about the sugar content when eating ice cream, but despite this, less than three in ten (28%) say they would prefer to eat less ice cream then switch to light versions such as reduced fat and sugar. Indeed, development of lower-fat or sugar versions of ice cream and desserts is limited – less than 10% of new product launches in the ice cream and desserts market carried a low/no/reduced sugar claim in 2013.
For more info visit www.mintel.com
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