When the temperature drops, it can be tempting to think ice cream season is over.
For retailers, that can mean reducing the range, ordering less stock or even switching valuable freezer space over to other categories. But the sales data tells a different story. Around 35% of ice cream sales happen during the winter months. In other words, more than a third of the annual ice cream opportunity can still be there after summer has finished.
The question for retailers therefore isn’t simply whether customers still buy ice cream in winter. It’s what they want to buy and why they’re buying it. Ice cream season doesn’t end. The occasion changes.
During the warmer months, ice cream is naturally associated with sunshine, refreshment and immediate consumption. Customers pick up cones, sticks and ice lollies while they’re out and about because they want something cold.
Winter brings a different type of demand.
As evenings become darker and colder, ice cream increasingly becomes part of an indulgent dessert, a night in, a weekend treat or something to share at home. Customers haven’t suddenly stopped liking ice cream. Their reason for buying it has changed.
That creates opportunities around:
- Premium take-home tubs
- Sharing formats
- Indulgent flavours
- Desserts
- Ice cream to accompany hot puddings
- Branded confectionery-inspired products
- Family favourites
- Treats for nights in
Retailers that adjust their range accordingly can continue giving customers a reason to visit the freezer throughout autumn and winter. Around £35 of every £100 is still a winter opportunity. One of the biggest misconceptions around ice cream is that almost all of the category’s sales happen during summer. The reality is much more balanced.
Nielsen-backed figures cited by Wall’s show that around 35% of ice cream sales happen during winter. Think about that in simple terms. For every £100 generated by the ice cream category over the year, roughly £35 is associated with winter sales based on that figure. That’s a significant sales opportunity to overlook simply because the temperature has dropped.
And recent market performance gives retailers another reason to pay attention. Circana reported that UK ice cream value sales during the colder six-month period leading into spring 2026 were still 3.9% ahead of the previous year. Winter isn’t a period where demand disappears. It is a period where retailers need to merchandise and range the category differently.
Dessert becomes even more important.
One of the clearest winter opportunities is dessert. During winter, dessert ice cream can account for around 46% of ice cream sales, according to winter category guidance from Wall’s. That makes sense when you think about how eating habits change. A summer customer may want an ice cream while walking home from the park. A winter customer may be sitting on the sofa with a film, serving dessert after dinner or adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a warm brownie.
That opens up a completely different selling conversation. Rather than merchandising ice cream purely as a standalone frozen treat, retailers can connect it with other products and occasions. Think: Apple pie + vanilla ice cream. Chocolate brownie + premium ice cream. Waffles + ice cream + sauce. Sticky toffee pudding + vanilla ice cream. Movie night + a premium tub.
Cross-merchandising these occasions can help make ice cream relevant even when there’s frost outside. Some ice cream brands perform strongly throughout the colder months. Premium and indulgent brands can be especially relevant during winter. Nielsen data cited by Wall’s showed that 47.5% of Ben & Jerry’s sales occurred during the colder months of January, February, March, October, November and December in 2024.
That doesn’t mean every product will behave in exactly the same way. It does show why retailers shouldn’t treat ice cream as one single seasonal category. Different formats perform for different reasons. A refreshing ice lolly bought on a hot afternoon and an indulgent tub eaten during a Saturday night in might both sit in the same freezer, but they are solving very different customer needs. Understanding those occasions is what helps build a stronger year-round range.
Winter impulse hasn’t disappeared either. Take-home tubs and desserts aren’t the whole story. Research covering out-of-home ice cream also suggests that more than 30% of sales can take place during winter, with a large proportion of those purchases still driven by impulse.
So while retailers may want to adjust the balance of their range, removing impulse products completely could mean missing sales from customers who still want a quick treat. The goal should be to create a freezer that reflects the season rather than removing the category from the conversation altogether.
Your winter freezer should look different to your summer freezer.
This is perhaps the most important point. Keeping ice cream in winter doesn’t mean keeping exactly the same range all year.
A retailer might dedicate more space to refreshment-led lines during the height of summer. As autumn arrives, that space can gradually shift towards take-home tubs, premium brands, family favourites, indulgent flavours, dessert ice cream, sharing products, products associated with chocolate and confectionery brands, and ice cream suited to pairing with hot desserts.
It’s about rotating the freezer rather than abandoning it. Retailers already do this throughout other areas of their store. Cold drinks, confectionery, bakery, alcohol and seasonal merchandise all change with customer behaviour throughout the year. Your freezer can work in exactly the same way.
Don’t switch off. Switch your range. A freezer that sits empty or is switched off during winter cannot generate sales. A freezer stocked around the right winter occasions can.
Evidence from retailer trials has also shown the effect that ranging and merchandising can have on winter ice cream performance. In one Wall’s and Newtrade Insight trial, a retailer that adjusted its freezer assortment towards branded impulse products recorded a 31.8% increase in value sales during the trial.
That doesn’t mean every retailer should expect exactly the same result. It does demonstrate something important: how you range and present ice cream matters. Winter success isn’t simply about stocking products and hoping customers notice them. It’s about giving customers the right reasons to buy.
Turn your freezer into a year-round sales opportunity.
Ice cream will always have its summer peak. Hot weather, holidays and longer days naturally create additional demand. But summer being the biggest season doesn’t make winter irrelevant. When around a third of category sales can still happen during the colder months, switching the freezer off too early could mean walking away from a sizeable part of the year’s opportunity.
Instead, think about the customer standing in front of your freezer in November, December or February. They’re probably not looking for relief from a heatwave. They might be looking for Friday-night indulgence, a family dessert, something to accompany a warm pudding, a premium treat or simply their favourite ice cream.
The temperature may change. The appetite for a treat doesn’t.At Direct Wholesale Foods, we’re here to help retailers build freezer ranges that work throughout the year, from summer impulse favourites to premium tubs, desserts and winter treats.
Speak to the Consort team about building your winter ice cream range and making more of your freezer space this season.
