Italians and ice cream: 94% consume it regularly. In the summer of the next normal, amidst a desire for conviviality and experimentation, originality and crossover between categories win out
All crazy about packaged ice cream. As summer approaches, the 94% of Italians say they consume it regularly, in the various formats available. A result confirmed by the research conducted by Doxa together with Frontiers Italy, a joint venture between the British multinational specializing in the production of ice cream R&R and the ice cream division Nestlé.
According to the survey-which covered consumers aged between 18 and 74 years., from North to South - the link with the summer season, while remaining very strong, over time is taking on a more dynamic. The ice-cream lovers love ice cream all the time, not only between spring and summer (43 percent), but throughout the year, including the colder months (31%).
Leading the way is the cone, one of the best-known and most exported gastronomic icons in the world, with 53% of preferences. Invented by Italian Italo Marchioni in 1903 and later patented in the United States, over the centuries it has entered the hearts of Italians. The cone, in short, brings everyone together by beating the tubs (37%), the stick (36%) and the cookie (33%).
The Traditional ice cream and the flavors "of childhood" continues to win over consumers (37%) who increasingly expect, however, an offering that is renewed with each season with combinations of tastes always new (36%). A growing propensity for the experimentation: Italians would like to be amazed by A never-before-tried product with unexpected features like crispness (69%) and can guarantee him A multisensory experience while tasting (27%). Not only that, for the 41% the ideal packaged ice cream must not only be mouthwatering but also appealing in appearance, so that it can best represent that "pampering" to be indulged in to break the monotony of everyday life.
"Ice cream remains a companion with whom to share moments and experiences at any age, changing over time as does the taste of its consumers. In recent years, despite being incurable traditionalists, Italians are looking more closely at innovation and originality, especially when it comes to taste; they want to let themselves be surprised - comments Luca Regano, CEO of Froneri Italia - Research and experimentation with new flavors will lead to increasingly intriguing combinations and unexpected crossovers between the various formats". This is the case with the new cone Extrême Cookie Cone, a first in the packaged ice cream industry: "This spring we will be launching a new cone on the market whose wafer is made entirely from crunchy cookie, replacing the traditional wafer. In Italy it will be available in four variants: Vanilla and Caramel, Hazelnut, Cream and Pistachio " concludes.
Packaged ice cream is confirmed as the sin of gluttony par excellence and positively characterizes the moments of sharing. Which ones? Mainly the afternoon snack (48%). But among the respondents there are also those who prefer to eat it as a dessert at the end of dinner (31%) and, more rarely, as a meal replacement (18%). In the collective imagination, ice cream remains the quintessential symbol of the leisure time entertainment and of conviviality. After two years, characterized by interpersonal distancing and limitations caused by the pandemic, people prefer to consume a good ice cream in the company of family (43%) or with one's partner (20%), to share a moment of respite and lightheartedness. But not only that: there are still those who wish to enjoy it in an individual moment of relaxation As a personal "pampering" (22 percent).
