Summary of the Ice Cream Market in China
The ice cream market in China in 2024 has seen substantial growth over recent years, driven by increasing consumer demand for novel and premium dessert options. As disposable incomes rise and the middle class expands, Chinese consumers are showing a greater willingness to experiment with new flavors and forms of ice cream. This shift has paved the way for both local and international brands to innovate and expand in the region.
Key Trends in China’s Ice Cream Market
- Health-Conscious Options: Consumers are increasingly looking for healthier ice cream alternatives that offer lower sugar, lower fat, and added nutritional benefits.
- Premiumization: There is a growing demand for premium ice cream products that offer unique flavors and high-quality ingredients.
- Local Flavor Innovations: Ice cream flavors that incorporate traditional Chinese ingredients are becoming more popular.
- Influence of Social Media Platforms like Little Red Book and Douyin: Brands are leveraging these platforms for marketing and direct consumer engagement.
- Expansion Through Franchising: Many ice cream brands are growing their presence in China through franchising models.
- Seasonal and Limited-Edition Flavors: Limited-time offerings and seasonal flavors are used to attract customers and encourage frequent visits.
- Eco-Friendly Packaging: Sustainability concerns are leading to innovations in biodegradable and recyclable packaging for ice cream products.
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Health-Conscious Options With a growing health and wellness trend in China, ice cream brands are introducing products that cater to health-conscious consumers. These include options that are lower in sugar and fat, incorporate functional ingredients like protein, and use natural sweeteners. Brands are also innovating with vegan and dairy-free alternatives to meet the dietary needs and preferences of a broader audience.
Premiumization Chinese consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for premium products, which is reflected in the ice cream sector with the introduction of gourmet and artisanal ice creams. These products often feature exotic flavors and ingredients imported from overseas, as well as luxurious packaging that appeals to an affluent demographic.
Local Flavor Innovations Leveraging local tastes and ingredients, ice cream brands in China are developing flavors that incorporate traditional elements such as green tea, sesame, red bean, and Sichuan pepper. This not only caters to local preferences but also appeals to tourists and those seeking a culinary adventure.
Influence of Social Media Platforms like Little Red Book and Douyin Social media platforms like Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) and Douyin are crucial for marketing in China. Ice cream brands use these platforms to launch marketing campaigns, share user-generated content, and interact directly with consumers. New product launches and promotional events are often teased or premiered on these platforms, creating buzz and anticipation.

Expansion Through Franchising Franchising is a popular strategy for rapid expansion in the ice cream sector. By franchising their business, brands can quickly scale up their operations across different regions in China without significant capital investment, tapping into local entrepreneurial enthusiasm and market knowledge.
Seasonal and Limited-Edition Flavors To keep the consumer interest alive, ice cream brands frequently introduce limited-edition flavors that coincide with festivals, seasons, or other events. This strategy helps in maintaining customer engagement and capitalizing on peak buying times, such as summer holidays or special occasions like Chinese New Year.
Eco-Friendly Packaging As environmental awareness increases, consumers are showing a preference for brands that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. This is leading ice cream companies to invest in eco-friendly packaging solutions, such as biodegradable containers and recyclable materials, to minimize their environmental footprint and appeal to eco-conscious consumers.
These trends illustrate how the ice cream market in China is evolving, with a strong emphasis on health, premium experiences, local culture, digital engagement, operational expansion, product novelty, and sustainability.
History of Icecream in China
In the ten first months of 2016, ice cream consumption reached 1140,78 billion yuan in China. 7 years before, the consumption per capita was only about 0,8 liters, and nowadays, it reached 4L. But, even if the market is growing fast, the expense per capita still remains lower than in other countries such as Australia, America, Italia, or other developed countries. In fact, the consumption level in the ice cream market in China is about 1/10 now while in America this level is about 1/3 even 1/2. This fact clearly means that the potential of the market is far to reach for now.
The trend is changing in ice cream consumption

While before it was only a product for western high-ranking governments, Ice cream become a widespread product in China (as a beverage). As the consumption capacity is getting higher in China and the factor of the warmth becomes less constraining, ice cream which was traditionally consumed for its cooling effect, it becomes nowadays more of a product for leisure and entertainment, considering that as a petty bourgeoisie life (as the fact of drinking high-end coffee). Moreover, Chinese people tend to turn to a better way of consumption.
Popular Ice Cream brands in China
- Haagen-Dazs and its success
Despite the price of Haagen-Dazs in China being 5 or even 10 times of common types, it is very popular amongst Chinese customers. Chinese people are chasing comfort and leisure in life as we already talked about earlier. Some of its stores choose also strategic places for the implant like the one in 城隍庙cheng Huang Miao (a tourist place in Shanghai).

The brand is using also quality ingredients and ensures to communicate information about it. Haagen-Dazs is considered a luxury consumption, often for couples to go. Also in its advertisements, it appeals to couples by incorporating an element of romance.
- Nestle Brand is popular
Nestle brand is considered a good quality product, with a large range of variety, and bring to consumer a good experience of consumption and chill time which can meet the demand from Chinese consumers. It is also the brand that Chinese consumers rely on the most. It has a significant place amongst Chinese customers, not only for ice cream but also for other dairy products, coffee, chocolate, and others.
- Yili Group and Mengniu’s place in China
Yiligroup and Mengniu are two domestic ice cream brands (17% and 10% of the total market share) and they are part of the well-known brand. But Chinese consumers tend to prefer foreign and most again, western ice cream brands which look more stylish. They are talking about having good taste (“you pin Wei”)
Some tips to Succeed in The Chinese Ice Cream Market

Count on product quality
The ice cream made like Italian is appreciated way among china. Italy is a reference in this area and Chinese people trust its know-how. Ice-cream shop under the signboard of Italian type made is a good deal. The homemade signboard is also a good thing to attract Chinese consumers.
A little digression here, we can find each in different cities in China each city’s specialty. Chinese consumers use to refer to this kind of heuristic to decide what to consume. They went to the specialties or recommended places to eat. So even for other food, they have the habits to rely on what is popular and well described.
Ice cream and health maintenance
Chinese people care a lot about “yang sheng” which means health maintenance, so they have invested in products with ingredients that can preserve one’s health. That’s why they have so many products that tastes like almonds, green tea, nuts, red beans, and so on. There is also an increasing part of people who are seeking organic food.
The consumption of this kind of food can make Chinese people less guilty than consuming a bad quality product and also give them satisfaction
Imagine a new Way to consume ice cream
While competition in China’s ice cream sector is turning red hot, an Interesting way or new way of consuming ice cream is such an added value to your product. There is, for example, the baked ice cream, and the toasted marshmallow ice cream (warm outside and cool inside) which are very appreciated. Also, the dondurma (turkey ice cream) is quite spread in China. Chinese people like to discover new things and are a very receptive population, whether it is for themselves or to bring new experiences to their family or friend.

Chinese people’s expectations are growing with their economic condition and revenue. They have the capacity to buy a better way of consumption. Moreover, this kind of consumption is not only for themselves, they like to share it with their family, their friends, and their network. Also, that is the key point why the high-end product can see their market growth in China.
Best Practices for Promoting Ice Cream on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu)
1. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
Encourage consumers to share their ice cream experiences on Little Red Book by creating unique hashtags, hosting contests, or offering incentives. User-generated content is seen as more genuine and can significantly influence potential customers.
A famous quote by marketer Philip Chen resonates well here: “User content is fire, for ecommerce in China.”

2. Collaborate with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Influencers
Partner with popular KOLs and influencers on Little Red Book who align with your brand’s values and aesthetics. These collaborations can include dedicated posts, reviews, or live sessions showcasing your ice cream flavors, which helps to build trust and excitement among their followers.
3. Create Visually Appealing Content
Invest in high-quality, eye-catching images and videos of your products. Since ice cream is highly visual, vibrant and appealing content can attract more viewers and engage users. Use captions that entice emotion or curiosity, such as “Rediscover your summer memories with our mango swirl.”
4. Offer Exclusive Promotions
Utilize Little Red Book to offer exclusive deals or limited-time offers to the platform’s users. This not only drives sales but also enhances engagement and encourages shares among the community.
5. Share Behind-the-Scenes and Brand Stories
Create content that shares the story behind your flavors, the sourcing of ingredients, or the creation process. This transparency builds a deeper connection with your audience and adds a layer of authenticity to your brand.
Best Practices for Leveraging Douyin for Ice Cream E-commerce and Franchise Promotion
1. Utilize Douyin’s E-commerce Features
YES 🙂 Make the most of Douyin’s integrated e-commerce capabilities. Set up a Douyin store, link products directly in videos, and use the platform’s shopping cart feature to streamline the purchasing process directly from your videos.
2. Create Engaging and Shareable Video Content
Logic but Develop creative and fun video content that showcases your ice cream in action. Think about taste tests, flavor reveals, or challenges. The goal is to create videos that are not only informative but also entertaining enough to encourage sharing and virality.

3. Use Hashtag Challenges , Community managament
You are in or Out of douyin community… and follow a hashtag challenge that invites users to create their own content with your product. Challenges could involve inventing new flavor combinations, sharing ice cream recipes, or creative ways to serve ice cream. As Bill Gates famously said, “Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the internet.”
4. Live Streaming , TV shopping
Host live streaming sessions where you can interact in real-time with your audience. During these sessions, demonstrate product use, host Q&A about your ice creams, discuss the benefits of your franchise, or offer live-exclusive discounts.
5. Focus on SEO Douyin
Since Douyin is a mobile-first platform, ensure that all your content is optimized for mobile viewing,and with good title for SEO on Douyin, with text… This includes making sure your videos are shot in vertical format and that your e-commerce store is easy to navigate on a smartphone, and engaging.. shareable. Many user will search on douyin today for food.
6. Target and Retarget Ads It works like magic
Use Douyin’s sophisticated ad targeting tools to reach potential franchisees and customers based on their interests and behaviors. Additionally, set up retargeting ads to capture those who have shown interest but have not yet made a purchase or inquiry.
7. Encourage Reviews and Testimonials
Promote customer reviews and testimonials directly on your Douyin page. Positive feedback from real customers can greatly enhance credibility and attract more users to both buy your product and consider your franchise opportunities.
Do you have some ideas for Business development in China?
You may need some help from Gentlemen Marketing Agency. Our team is specialized in the Chinese market and its consumers, and we can guide you in your project in China:
- Ecommerce
- Distribution development
- Franchise communication
- Social Media
Do not hesitate to contact us or to visit us directly at our office based in Shanghai 🙂
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