Ice-cream market on thin ice
The global ice-cream market is under pressure, with a dramatic drop in sales as consumers turn to more healthy alternatives. In SA, however, ice cream remains the ‘it’ dessert
Served on the side of a warm brownie, dripping off a popsicle stick or eaten straight from the tub, ice cream is a firm favourite on a hot day or to cure heartbreak. It isn’t just nostalgia that makes ice cream popular — it’s been scientifically proven that it makes people happy. In a study commissioned by ice-cream giant Unilever, which accounts for 22% of the global market, neuroscientists at London’s Institute of Psychiatry scanned the brains of people eating vanilla ice cream. They found an immediate effect on parts of the brain known to be active when people are enjoying themselves — the same feeling you’d have while listening to your favourite song. However, as consumers become more health conscious, the ice-cream market is taking a dive. According to a report from market research firm Mintel, global ice-cream sales fell a whopping 16.7%, from 15.6bnl in 2015 to 13bnl in 2016. There’s definitely a boom in spring and summer: in this country 60% of all ice cream is consumed betw...
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