“Aside from the flavor of frozen treats, price is the key factor in a consumer’s decision on what to purchase,” said John N. Frank, Mintel food and drink analyst, in a press release. “Price is more important than brand, quality, and health information, which makes it difficult for brands to break away from a price-promotion strategy, but does give private label products a major opportunity for growth.”
When buying ice cream or other frozen novelties, 94% of people say they base their decision on flavor, while 83% look at price and 72% look for a sale or promotion. When it comes to brand loyalty, slightly more than two-thirds (68%) of respondents make their selections based on brand
alone.
According to Frank, new product development will play a large role in the continued success of the ice cream market in the
coming years. New flavor profiles and ingredients, better-for-you products, and new packaging concepts will be instrumental in its
success.
The popularity of Greek yogurt spilling over into the ice cream and frozen novelty market could be one reason that total US
retail sales of frozen yogurt were up 9.7% from 2011-12, which demonstrated the highest growth percentage of the four ice cream and frozen novelty segments. (NACS: www.nacsonline.com)
