Ice Cream Imports to Kazakhstan Decrease by 5.1%

The decrease in imports does not indicate a decline in interest in foreign brands, but it shows that a standard product is no longer sufficient for successful market entry. For suppliers, brand recognition, unique offerings, price positioning, and access to sales channels are becoming increasingly important.

Meanwhile, ice cream supplies from Russia increased by 15%, reaching 6.5 thousand tons. However, the key competition is not only for volumes but also for shelf space. The market sees ongoing rivalry between Russian and Turkish producers over several strong brands.

Northern Kazakhstan remains a zone of more pronounced presence for Russian producers, while a significant part of the market in the center and south of the country is controlled by Turkey's Algida, part of Unilever. This indicates that competition in the category increasingly becomes a battle of distribution systems and brands rather than just individual products.

According to Dmitry Dokin, players with a strong brand, a distinct product idea, or international reputation feel most stable in such an environment. Examples mentioned in the original data include GC "Renna", Froneri, Mars, Ferrero, London Dairy, Mövenpick, "Polaris" with the brand "Prostokvashino", as well as Asian producers Lotte and Binggrae.

At the same time, the positions of suppliers relying only on basic ice cream assortments or low prices are weakening. Such products are increasingly losing not only to international brands but also to local Kazakhstani alternatives.

There is a separate note on the reduction of "Umut" ice cream imports from Kyrgyzstan by 30%, down to 4.1 thousand tons. Amid heightened control and reduced "grey" channels, the export price of Kyrgyz products increased by 70.9%, which reduced their key competitive advantage—affordability.

Conversely, imports from Uzbekistan are showing growth, though their volumes remain insignificant and do not significantly impact the market. Nevertheless, the very fact of growth reflects a broader trend: Uzbek producers are starting to work more actively on the quality and competitiveness of their products following changes in state policy to support local production, according to a representative of "Shin-Line".