Mobile Menu

Ice Cream Production in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Arielle Rose Arielle Rose New York, United States Last Updated: July 2024 NAICS 31152

Revenue

$11.3bn

2024

$11.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

23,337

Businesses

405

Wages

$X.Xbn

Ice Cream Production in the US industry analysis

Ice cream producers make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, frozen tofu and other desserts. These producers are competing with consumers' tastes, shifting to healthier options. To remain relevant, ice cream producers have introduced new brands or reformulated existing lines with healthier or higher-quality ingredients and have launched new products that appeal to a broader range of health-conscious consumers. In line with successful product innovation and efforts to appeal to consumers, the industry has kept up with shifting consumer preferences. Industry revenue will expand at a CAGR of 3.0% to $11.4 billion through the end of 2024, including a mere 0.4% expansion in 2024 alone. Industry profit, however, inched down during the same timeframe, resulting from consistently substantial purchase costs. COVID-19 positively impacted ice cream production in 2020 despite poor economic conditions.

Trends and Insights

  • Ice cream producers are offering more brands or are reformulating existing lines, helping to keep up with shifting consumer preferences. Most new or redeveloped products include healthier or higher-quality ingredients, appealing to a broader range of health-conscious consumers.
  • Swelling health consciousness among consumers in recent years has pushed down demand for ice cream. Ice cream producers have established new product segments surrounding new health and food trends, appealing to health-conscious consumers and those who prefer super-premium varieties of ice cream like gelato.
  • Input access encourages ice cream producers to locate in certain regions. The Mid-Atlantic offers easy access to key raw input upstream suppliers like milk and sugar.
  • Price-based competition has intensified following a growing desire for low-priced, private-label supermarket brands, particularly for bulk ice cream products. The desire for premium ice cream is less sensitive to price changes since these products target a more affluent consumer group.

Access hundreds of analysis and data

  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
  • PDF report or online database with Word, Excel and PowerPoint export options
  • 100% money back guarantee

Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $11.3bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

COVID-19 pushed up consumer desire for ice cream products

  • Although consumer spending dropped, the unsettling conditions surrounding the pandemic made consumers want more comfort foods like ice cream. As a result, sales of such indulgent items experienced a noteworthy boost.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Ice Cream Production in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
Alfabank-Adres Logo Source: Alfabank-Adres

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Economic recovery from COVID-19 will boost revenue

  • Rebounding consumer spending has expanded as consumers return to purchasing discretionary goods. Easing COVID-19 containment measures and a boost in the number of people who have received the coronavirus vaccination has allowed the economy to slowly return to a state of normality.

Biggest companies in the Ice Cream Production in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Profit ($m)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024
Unilever N V
1,569.7
264.5
16.9
Wells Enterprises, Inc.
922.3
45.6
4.9
Froneri International Limited
35.7
1.8
4.9

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Ice Cream Production in the US
Products & Services
Alfabank-Adres Logo Source: Alfabank-Adres

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Regular ice cream, Novelty ice cream and Low-fat/Nonfat ice cream. Regular ice cream is the largest segment of the Ice Cream Production in the US.

Trends and Insights

Ice cream in retail packaging and bulk ice cream comprise the largest segment

  • This segment includes ice cream products with at least 10.0% milk fat sold in pint-sized or larger containers, most of which are sold in quarts, half-gallon or gallon containers at supermarkets and other retail channels.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Ice cream producers make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, frozen tofu and other frozen desserts, except frozen bakery foods, which are included in the Bread Production industry (Alfabank-Adres report 31181). Most raw inputs are sourced from the Dairy Farms industry (11212).

What's included in this industry?

Ice cream in retail packaging and bulk ice creamFrozen noveltiesLow-fat and nonfat ice creamPackaged frozen yogurt, gelato, sherbet, custards, flavored ice and frozen tofu desserts

Companies

Unilever N VWells Enterprises, Inc.Froneri International Limited

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

HOMOGENIZATIONPASTEURIZATIONRADIO-FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID)

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 31152 - Ice Cream Production in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Ice cream producers are offering more brands or are reformulating existing lines, helping to keep up with shifting consumer preferences. Most new or redeveloped products incl...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Swelling health consciousness among consumers in recent years has pushed down demand for ice cream. Ice cream producers have established new product segments surrounding new ...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Input access encourages ice cream producers to locate in certain regions. The Mid-Atlantic offers easy access to key raw input upstream suppliers like milk and sugar.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Price-based competition has intensified following a growing desire for low-priced, private-label supermarket brands, particularly for bulk ice cream products. The desire for ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Froneri is the largest ice cream producer. The company dominates production by leveraging its well-known brand and scale.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Unilever N V's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Wells Enterprises, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Froneri International Limited's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Unilever N V, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Wells Enterprises, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Froneri International Limited, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Expansive assistance is available for ice cream producers. The industry benefits from dairy research undertaken by government agencies.

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Ice cream manufacturers must purchase key production inputs, including milk, sugar and corn syrup, the prices of which are essentially a function of the global market. Other ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States is $11.3bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in 2024?

There are 405 businesses in the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.1 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 3.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Ice Cream Production in the US market in United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Ice Cream Production market in United States are Unilever N V, Wells Enterprises, Inc. and Froneri International Limited

What does the Ice Cream Production in the US in United States include?

Ice cream in retail packaging and bulk ice cream and Frozen novelties are part of the Ice Cream Production in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Ice Cream Production in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is Unilever N V.

How competitive is the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Ice Cream Production in the US industry in United States.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Chocolate Production in the US
  • Frozen Food Production in the US
  • Bread Production in the US

Complementors

  • Dairy Product Production in the US

International industries

  • Ice Cream Production in Canada
  • Ice Cream Manufacturing in Australia
  • Ice Cream Manufacturing in New Zealand
  • Ice Cream Production in the UK

View all industries in United States

Methodology

How are Alfabank-Adres reports created?

Alfabank-Adres has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for Alfabank-Adres readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of Alfabank-Adres’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

Alfabank-Adres relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do Alfabank-Adres analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, Alfabank-Adres’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does Alfabank-Adres forecast its data?

Alfabank-Adres’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

Alfabank-Adres prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.