Ice cream: record-breaking heat boosts sales in cafés and supermarkets
Sales in the large-scale retail sector are up 9 per cent year-to-date, whilst those in the out-of-home sector are up 4 per cent. The figures were released by Igi and Unione Italiana Food during the presentation of the ‘Manifesto on Nutrition for Sport’, in which ice cream can form part of a balanced diet
Ice cream consumption on the rise this summer: following the growth recorded by artisan ice cream parlours, confirmation also comes from sales figures for packaged ice cream: a 4 per cent increase in ‘to-go’ products (a category distinct from other industrial products, such as cakes and the like, ed.) thanks to a distribution network reaching over 100,000 bars and +9 per cent in packs sold in supermarkets in the first 8 months of 2026 (confirming the trend recorded in June).
“The figure for the large-scale retail sector is a truly surprising result – commented the Italian Ice Cream Institute – “especially given the absence of data for September, a peak season that is still underway, at a time when the sector was experiencing a period of stability, with slight declines forecast for 2025, following the strong growth of this channel in the post-Covid period.”
The figures were released by Igi and Unione Italiana Food during the presentation of the “Manifesto on Nutrition for Sportspersons”: “Can ice cream have a place in the diet of those who practise sport? And how can pleasure, taste, energy requirements and a balanced diet be reconciled when physical activity becomes part of everyday life?’ These questions formed the starting point for the event held on 22 September in Rome ‘The Unexpected Ally. The role of packaged ice cream in the sports diet’.
The Manifesto was edited by Michelangelo Giampietro, a specialist in Sports Medicine and Nutritional Science: a guide covering calorie requirements, nutritional balance, hydration, digestibility, pre- and post-workout nutrition and recovery, to understand how even a treat such as ice cream can fit into a varied and balanced diet.
Last year, 261,000 tonnes of packaged ice cream were produced in Italia, with a value of around 3 billion euros, whilst sales reached approximately 3.4 billion portions, with per capita consumption close to 3 kg. By 2025, Italian production had increased by 10 per cent in volume compared with 2024, the highest growth rate among the five largest producers in the EU. Italia now ranks second in Europe in terms of production volume, behind Germany and ahead of France.
