Packaged ice cream: supermarkets are leading the sales recovery

“We hope this growth will continue throughout the rest of the summer season,” comments Lorenzo Bagnoli, the new president of the ice cream division at Unione Italiana Food, “and that it will be reflected not only in retail sales but also in out-of-home consumption.” Companies are therefore looking ahead to the season with positive expectations. “2026 is confirming a solid growth trend,” observes Giuseppe Fascia, head of marketing at Froneri Italia. The key today is not just to grow within the category, but to innovate in a meaningful way by responding to consumers’ increasingly diverse needs, thereby helping to broaden consumption habits’. Froneri, the world’s second-largest producer with brands such as Maxibon, Coppa del Nonno and Nuii, reports faster growth in the retail sector: +26.4% by value and +23.1% by volume in the first five months.

Sammontana, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, shares this view. “The early arrival of the heat gives us cause for optimism,” says Annalisa Ferri, the Group’s chief marketing officer, “but it will be the weather conditions and tourist numbers that determine the outcome of the season. The ice cream market is, after all, a seasonal one that has experienced significant fluctuations over time due to factors beyond our control.”

In terms of trends, the freezer section is seeing an evolution in flavours that companies view as a structural shift. “Flavours such as pistachio and mango have become favourites in recent years,” observes Ferri of Sammontana, “sealing the success of those ice creams that have best captured their essence.” Against this backdrop, three trends are emerging. The first is theco-branding with traditional confectionery brands: Tonitto 1939 brings Grisbì ice cream to the market, along with Cubik Elah – inspired by toffee – Gelato Buondì Bauli and Gelato Galatine. “Consumers are looking for the same flavours in the freezer cabinet that they already know from their own cupboards,” explains Massimiliano Dovo, co-owner of Tonitto 1939.

The second trend is the ‘healthy’ one, linked to the plant-based phenomenon. “Plant-based ice cream grew by 3.7% in 2025, according to NielsenIQ data in our possession. This performance bucked the trend of the conventional ice cream market,” comments Andrea Panzani, CEO of Valsoia. The company, the market leader with a 77.5% share, ended the year with volumes up 4%. Driving these results was the Zero range, which “exceeded expectations”, confirming “consumers’ strong interest in innovative and functional products”. Coming this summer 2026 are the Cono Zero and the dual-flavour Hazelnut and Pistachio tub.

The third trend is ‘premiumisation’: Froneri is strengthening the Nuii brand and launching Baci Gelato. “The freezer cabinet is no longer just a place for impulse purchases,” emphasises Fascia, “but a space where consumers look for brands and products that are consistent with their lifestyle, capable of combining perceived quality, sensory intensity, convenience and brand strength.”

Packaged ice cream is no longer judged solely on flavour. The Italian ice cream industry is undergoing a green transition, as clearly described in the report “Study of environmental performance in the production of packaged ice cream in Italia”, conducted by Ergo, a spin-off of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, for the Italian Ice Cream Institute (IGI), using data collected in 2025.

As regards raw materials, almost 70% of the milk is from Italia; 98.5% of the cocoa comes from certified sustainable sources; where it has not been replaced, the palm oil is 100% certified (RSPO standard). Packaging is the area where progress is most visible: 72% of packaging is made entirely of paper, with over 53% being recycled paper. Switching from plastic to paper for freezer products is no small feat: it requires industrial testing, adjustments to production processes and a reassessment of supply chains.

Over the past five years, Tonitto 1939 has reduced its use of plastic across its main product lines by 50 per cent, introducing FSC-certified cardboard packaging. “We have undertaken a complex transformation involving development, production and industrial organisation,” explains Massimiliano Dovo, co-owner of the company.

Almost 50% of the electricity purchased by the sector comes from renewable sources. By-products from processing are used for animal feed or biogas. Future objectives include trialling formulations using plant-based drinks as a partial substitute for cow’s milk and the decarbonisation of the energy system. “Today, quality is measured by data, transparency and the ability to innovate production processes,” comments Michelangelo Giampietro, president of Igi. “This report is not a milestone, but a compass.”

For the Italian Gelato Institute, sustainability also encompasses the social dimension. Lorenzo Bagnoli, president of the gelato division of Unione Italiana Food, cites among the upcoming objectives ‘collaboration with Caritas and the analysis of environmental performance, placing responsibility towards the community and the environment at the centre’. On the social front, Sammontana has involved 50 students from the ISS ‘Il Pontormo’ in Empoli in courses on civic education and the responsible use of artificial intelligence, through the ‘Ambassadors for Change’ initiative developed in collaboration with InVento Innovation Lab and Ashoka Italia.