The ice cream market in China is showing signs of recovery after two years of contraction, with global players accelerating product innovation, channel expansion and capital-market moves in anticipation of a cyclical rebound and long-term structural growth.

Food and beverage producer Nestle is signaling renewed confidence in the country's ice cream market.

At its national distributor conference last month, Xu Dai, senior vice-president of Nestle Greater China and head of its confectionery and ice cream unit, said Nestle's ice cream unit achieved double-digit sales growth in 2025, marking a clear rebound after two years of decline, according to Food Inc, a food industry portal in China.

Xu said: "The ice cream market in China is showing signs of recovery, driven by a shift toward more emotional, experience-driven consumption and a surge in new usage occasions."