The ice cream industry is entering the warmer months with a wave of product launches and retail expansions, as manufacturers compete for freezer-aisle attention with novel flavors, premium ingredients and high-profile brand collaborations.
Announcements from Cold Case Ice Cream, Tillamook, Hudsonville Ice Cream and I Love Ice Cream Cakes in the week leading up to March 20 signal strong confidence in consumer demand for indulgent, differentiated frozen desserts heading into the peak selling season.
Intrigue in the case
Cold Case Ice Cream, a luxury brand built around true-crime storytelling and collectible packaging, is making one of the most notable retail moves of the season.
The Utah-based company announced it is expanding into more than 1,000 Kroger banner stores nationwide – a milestone that CEO Josh Butt described as a major validation of the brand’s concept.
The rollout spans Fry’s, Fred Meyer, Smith’s, Mariano’s, Pick ‘n Save and Quality Food Center stores, among others, giving the brand geographic reach across Texas, Arizona, California, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and the Mountain West.
A third-year brand, Cold Case built its early following through immersive, case-file-style packaging and limited-edition box sets that pair premium ice cream with mystery storytelling elements.
The model has resonated with retailers increasingly drawn to story-forward brands that drive shopper engagement, according to the company.
“Consumers are looking for indulgence where the calories count without making you feel awful afterwards, not just another pint in the freezer,” Butt said. “Our goal has always been to turn dessert into an experience.”
Products will be available in participating stores starting in mid- to late March.
Tillamook goes handheld
Oregon-based Tillamook County Creamery Association is bringing its premium ice cream to a new format this season.
The cooperative has launched Tillamook Ice Cream Bars nationally, offering four flavors – Vanilla Bean, Cookies & Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip and Tillamook Mudslide – each dipped in a crisp chocolaty coating.
“These bars are everything you know and love from our creamy family size and pint ice cream, dipped in a luscious chocolate coating,” said Hunter Clayton, senior R&D associate scientist at TCCA. “It’s quality you can hold in your hand.”
Alongside the bar launch, Tillamook is expanding its pint collection with two additional flavors – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cookies & Cream – that bring its total pint offerings to 10 varieties.
The bars are available at Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Publix and other grocery retailers nationwide.
Hudsonville, Albanese team up
Michigan’s Hudsonville Ice Cream, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is entering the season with a collaboration featuring ingredient innovation.
The family-owned brand has partnered with Albanese Confectionery to launch Dirt Cake, a vanilla and chocolate pudding-flavored ice cream with cream-filled chocolate cookies and Albanese’s Gummi Chiller Worms – a gummi candy engineered to remain chewy even when frozen.
The technology, which Albanese pioneered in 2010, is central to the product’s appeal and sets it apart from typical mix-in offerings.
Bethany Albanese, co-president of Albanese Confectionery, said the company anticipated consumer demand for this kind of textural experience well before it became mainstream.
“Partnering with another family-owned company that shares our passion for quality and creativity allows us to bring that innovation to life,” Albanese said.
Dirt Cake will be available at Walmart, Kroger, Meijer, Hy-Vee, Hannaford and other regional and independent grocers.
Hudsonville also is launching two additional spring flavors: Brownie Sundae, a vanilla ice cream with chocolate brownie chunks, rainbow sprinkles and fudge swirl, and Fruit Smoothie Bars made with strawberry, orange and mango sherbets.
Baileys adds spirit(s) to ice cream cake
I Love Ice Cream Cakes, a division of Rich Products Corporation in Buffalo, New York, is expanding its licensed brand portfolio with the debut of a Baileys Cream Ice Cream Cake.
Available in Walmart stores nationwide, the product pairs Baileys Irish Cream’s flavor profile (minus alcohol) with swirls of chocolate ice cream, coffee-flavored icing and chocolate shavings.
The 46-ounce cake serves about 10 people and is positioned as a premium option for special occasions. The launch extends a brand collaboration strategy that has previously yielded products under the Carvel, Reese’s, Oreo and Funfetti names.
“The Baileys Ice Cream Cake is a strong example of Rich’s commitment to innovation and shows our dedication to offering exciting new ice cream cake flavors for our consumers,” said Kim Mrowczynski, brand marketing manager for ice cream cakes at Rich Products.