Competition in ice cream sector heating up

The world's largest ice cream maker, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, has rolled out its 2026 product portfolio in China, marking its first major market move since completing its independent listing in Amsterdam, London and New York in December 2025.

The launch covers nearly 30 new products across four core brands — Magnum, Cornetto, Wall's and Layers. The new lineup shows the company's aim to reinforce its position in one of its most strategically important markets.

"China is not only one of our top 10 global markets, but also a key engine for innovation and growth," said Wai-Fung Loh, Asia president, The Magnum Ice Cream Company. The company is combining global expertise with insights accumulated over three decades of operating in China to accelerate local research, development and marketing, she said.

The company said this year they have implemented multiple initiatives to drive business growth, including increasing freezer placements to enhance market coverage, accelerating the localization of innovations through its China R&D center, boosting investments in social media and digital marketing campaigns, and advancing the intelligence and digitalization of its supply chain.

The 2026 lineup reflects a broader push toward personalization and scenario-based consumption, trends that have been reshaping China's ice cream market in recent years.

As the company's premium flagship, the Magnum brand continues to emphasize its use of imported Belgian chocolate while expanding flavor combinations and product formats. New offerings include pistachio and dark chocolate mint variants aimed at younger consumers seeking bolder tastes, said the company.

Magnum has also upgraded its signature chocolate coating, introducing a dual-layer structure designed to deliver a more complex texture — an example of how product engineering is being used to differentiate in an increasingly competitive premium segment.

Building on strong demand for fruit-based ice cream, the company is further investing in fruit ingredients, texture innovation and products suited for multiple consumption occasions, following the introduction of several fruit-focused items in China in 2025.

At the mass-market end, Wall's is broadening ice cream's role in everyday life.

Beyond new bar products, the brand is reviving Calippo — long associated with childhood memories for many Chinese consumers — through a renewed push in the popsicle format. Its Snow Slush Cup, featuring a 230-gram large-size format, is positioned as an afternoon snack alternative.

With health awareness rising, demand for smaller portions and "lighter" indulgence is gaining traction. The company is expanding its mini product lines to offer lower-burden treats without sacrificing enjoyment, said the company.

Mini Cornetto has partnered with NetEase's popular mobile game Eggy Party, an online gaming community popular among younger consumers, incorporating playful, social-oriented design elements into its packaging to boost shareability while controlling portion size.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is also exploring new growth avenues, including China's foodservice sector. Products targeting business-to-business customers have already entered the market, with distributors on social media highlighting Wall's new bulk ice cream tubs for commercial use, according to media reports.

The company's primary brands, Cornetto and Magnum, ranked as the fourth and fifth-largest ice cream brands in the Chinese market by retail sales in 2024.

The company generated 317 million euros ($368.4 million) in China revenue in fiscal year 2024 and 270 million euros in the first half of 2025, driven mainly by impulse consumption and a distribution network that reaches a broad spectrum of channels.

This means the first half revenue had already reached 85 percent of the previous year's total revenue. The growth came from increased investment in distribution, freezer deployment and innovation and early marketing of the new products, according to the company.

According to Euromonitor International, China's ice cream market recovered in 2025 after a sharp downturn in 2024, offering renewed opportunities for global and domestic players alike. Based on retail value, in 2025, Yili ranked first in China's ice cream market, followed by Magnum in second place. Mengniu, General Mills, and Shenyang Deshi Group also secured positions within the top five.