Major Russian food retailers are continuing to diversify their frozen-dessert assortments by sourcing products from Asia. Alongside established South Korean brands (such as Lotte), niche formats from China and Indonesia are increasingly appearing in national retail chains.

Retailers are showing particular interest in desserts with unconventional presentations. For example, Azbuka Vkusa supermarkets now carry Chinese molded ice cream under the Hongqi brand (specifically the Taoqi line). The fruit desserts are shaped like natural fruits, such as a 75 g peach.

Similar products from China are available in SPAR supermarkets, which offer 3D glazed fruit sorbets under the Hi Snack brand (shaped like pineapples, peaches, and strawberries, weighing 75 g).

In Perekrestok supermarkets (part of X5 Group), the assortment has been supplemented with Indonesian products from the Aice brand. Specifically, the chain offers portioned mochi-style ice cream, such as a 45 ml banana-flavoured option.

New niches and consumer demand

Expanding the geography of sourcing allows Russian retail chains to attract customers with unique visual designs and new flavours. For ice cream manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific region, the Russian market is emerging as a promising export destination.

For Chinese factories and suppliers of exotic desserts, entry into the assortments of national Russian chains opens up opportunities in the premium segment: the shelf price of a portion of molded ice cream can range from RUB 114 to RUB 329 (Hi Snack sorbets in SPAR are priced at RUB 199.90). The market success of such products relies heavily on dependable cold-chain logistics and high-quality protective packaging that ensures the visual appeal of the product is preserved during transport.