From growth to defence: What does the 2025 F&B market report suggest for ice cream brands?
The 2025 F&B market report shows that the market is slowing down. For ice cream brands, the advantage may lie in delivering real value, a clear customer experience and better-controlled operations, rather than simply expanding points of sale.
F&B Market Report 2025 shows that the market is shifting from recovery-driven growth to a more stable and slower phase. For ice cream brands, this signals the need to reassess product value, customer experience and operational capability before expanding their number of outlets.
F&B Market Report 2025 is presented as a study of the industry’s position, opportunities and challenges during the recovery period.
The 2025 F&B landscape: slower growth and a defensive mindset
Slower growth does not necessarily indicate that demand for dining out has disappeared. It suggests that businesses may need to be more cautious when deciding whether to open outlets, invest in premises or expand their product range. For ice cream and dessert brands, the important question is not only “where should we open next?”, but also “what value is the current outlet creating for customers?”.
Slower growth does not mean opportunities have disappeared
As the pace of expansion across the industry slows, brands with clear positioning can still find their own niche. An ice cream shop can compete through products that meet customer needs, memorable experiences and consistent operations, rather than trying to establish a presence in as many locations as possible.
People who are new to opening a shop often ask whether simply choosing a product that is attracting attention is enough to bring in customers over the long term. From an operational perspective, a new product may create curiosity, but whether customers return also depends on their overall perception of quality, price and the in-store experience.
Why do ice cream brands need to reassess their expansion strategy?
A notable point in the F&B Market Report 2025 is that diners’ sentiment is described as shifting towards a more defensive and pessimistic outlook when considering 2026. As budgets are scrutinised more carefully, an ice cream product must not only be “tasty” in a general sense, but also make it clear to customers what they are receiving in return for their spending.
For a gelato brand, this requires a balance between image, product quality and a reasonable purchasing experience. An overly broad menu, complex processes or a model dependent on continuous promotions may increase operational pressure if not properly controlled.
Three questions to ask before investing in additional outlets
- Are customers choosing the product for its flavour, experience, convenience or a specific occasion?
- Does the current outlet have processes that are consistent enough to replicate?
- Is the brand creating genuine value, or relying solely on advertising and promotions to attract visits?
These questions help shop owners shift their focus from the speed of expansion to the quality of their foundations. This is also a necessary preparatory step before considering Gelato shop setup consultancy or a long-term partnership model.
Three practical priorities for ice cream brands
1. Clarify the genuine value of each product
The report suggests that competition will become more intense, with businesses needing to retain customers through genuine value and quality experiences rather than simply expanding their scale. For an ice cream brand, “genuine value” can be expressed through perceived quality, appropriate portion sizes, a clear choice of flavours and consistent service.
This does not mean that every brand must pursue the premium segment. More importantly, the product promise must match the price and be expressed consistently across the menu, sales counter and experience after the customer makes a purchase.
2. Design an experience that gives customers a reason to return
Experience is not just about shop decoration. For an ice cream brand, it may include how easily customers can choose a flavour, how the product is presented, the convenience of takeaway purchases or a product range suited to different occasions.
In F&B communities, shop owners often discuss how to retain customers after their first purchase. These discussions often highlight the role of service quality, the local community and suitable marketing activities; this is a community perspective, not data verified in the report.
3. Control operations before increasing scale
When both costs and purchasing power need to be considered, operations become part of the brand experience. Preparation, storage, service, stocktaking and staff training processes need to be clear enough to minimise discrepancies between shifts or outlets.
Shop owners can start by reviewing slow-selling products, steps that delay service and expenses that do not create clear value. For product options, they can also explore the Gelato Baby Boss product range to consider how to build a range suited to their specific business model.
Perspectives for ice cream shop owners and gelato brands
The main message of the F&B Market Report 2025 is not that brands should stop expanding. Rather, expansion should come after demonstrating that the current model has a suitable customer base, a consistent experience and sufficiently controlled processes.
| Common former priority | A more cautious approach |
|---|---|
| Open more outlets to increase coverage | Check the performance and replicability of the current outlet |
| Chase products that are attracting attention | Choose products that suit the positioning and customer needs |
| Use promotions to drive purchases | Clarify the product’s value and build a reason to return |
| Expand the range as widely as possible | Prioritise a range that is easy to operate, train for and keep consistent |
This is also why shop owners should view brand building as a long-term challenge, not merely a question of revenue from one campaign to the next. Content on F&B business can support the process of reviewing the model, while information on Gelato knowledge gives teams a stronger foundation when developing products.
Conclusion: selective growth instead of chasing numbers
F&B Market Report 2025 suggests a change in how growth is viewed: scale remains important, but it cannot replace genuine value, quality experiences and operational capability. For an ice cream brand, this period may be the right time to strengthen core products, standardise the experience and gain a clearer understanding of why customers return.
Brands with strong foundations will have more options when the market improves. Before deciding to expand, check whether the current model is sufficiently clear, consistent and suited to the budget of its target customers.
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