Ice cream: for consumers, taste and sensory experiences come first

To drive the ice cream market, companies are focusing on product innovation and partnerships with the confectionery sector.

In the year ending November 2025, the ice cream market remained substantially stable, with a slight decline in 0,8% in volumes year on year. Overall, more than 204,7 million kilograms of product were sold, generating revenue of 1,5 billion euros, up 0,5% as a result of inflation (Circana data, Total Italy, Hypermarkets+Supermarkets+Lsp+Discounts).

Geographical areas and distribution channels

The geographical distribution of sales by volume shows a head-to-head contest between the South (29% by vol. and 27,8% by value) and the North-West (28,1% by vol. and 28,2% by value). Next come Central Italy+Sardinia, accounting for 23,1% of volumes and 24,3% of value, and the North-East, with a share of 19,8% by volume and 19,7% by value. As regards distribution channels, supermarkets confirm their absolute centrality, handling 52,5% of volumes and 56,8% of market value. Discount stores are the second most important channel (30,4% by vol. and 23,8% by value), followed by self-service stores, with 10,8% by volume and 12,6% by value. Hypermarkets rank last, with shares of 6,3% of volumes and 6,8% of value.

Segment performance

Within the market, the various segments show very different dynamics: impulse ice creams are the only segment experiencing strong expansion, with double-digit growth both in volumes (+21,5%) and in value (+12,5%). Dessert ice creams, on the other hand, are experiencing a contraction of 1,4% in volumes, but a significant increase in value of 14,4%. Multipack ice creams represent the largest part of the market in absolute terms, with revenue of 924,7 million euros and 107,4 kilograms sold, but volumes are down 3,5% and value is down 1%. Finally, tub ice creams record a slight generalised decline, with -1,6% in volumes and -0,1% in value. The competitive landscape is characterised by a strong presence of private label, which alone holds 40,9% of the market’s value. The top three players – The Magnum Ice Cream Company (formerly Unilever Ice Cream), Sammontana, Froneri – collectively account for 41,9% of the market by value.

Read more about DM Magazine January 2026

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.