Oatly, a Swedish brand, will launch its first vegan ice cream bar line in 3,000 locations across the United States next month. The new ice cream bars, like other Oatly products, are produced with an oat milk base and a thick chocolate coating. The range (dubbed “Oatly on a Stick” by the brand) will come in four flavors: Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry Swirl, Salted Caramel, and Vanilla.
“Our new non-dairy frozen dessert bars are fantastic, and I can’t wait for people to try them…We’re proving that oatmilk is not just for coffee, cereal, or cooking, but can also be the foundation for great-tasting treats to be enjoyed during celebration moments or when a pick-me-up reward is needed. We are so proud of this product and are very excited to bring it to many frozen aisles across the country soon,” said Mike Messersmith, President of Oatly North America.
Target, Wegmans, Schnucks, Harris Teeter, Giant, Stop & Shop, Fresh Direct, and other retailers will carry Oatly’s new ice cream bar line for a suggested retail price of $5.99 per three-pack.
Vegan Ice Cream
Oatly has been making oat milk in Europe for more than 25 years and began selling it in the United States in 2017 through coffee shops in New York City. After quickly finding traction in the United States and being included to Starbucks’ national menu, the brand began expanding its product line beyond oat milk to include vegan ice cream. Oatly Frozen, a seven-flavor oat-based ice cream brand with flavors like Oat, Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Chocolate Chip, Mint Chip, and Coffee, was launched in 2019. Prior to the launch of the brand, Oatly rolled out a bright ice cream truck throughout Los Angeles and at the Eat Drink Vegan food festival, where it sampled its ice cream, espresso-based drinks, and “affogat-oats” (a combination of the two).
With the launch of Oatly soft serve, the brand expanded further into the frozen market. The treat, which was created for foodservice, was first introduced in big league baseball stadiums. Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL (home of the Chicago Cubs) and Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX (home of the Texas Rangers) both had vegan soft serve in vanilla and chocolate flavors in April (home of the Texas Rangers). This summer, Oatly’s soft serve was added to all 32 locations of 16 Handles, a frozen yogurt business established in New York City. Vanilla, Iced Latte, Chocolate, and Chai Tea are the four flavors available. The iconic soft serve is also available in a number of eateries across the country, including Gott’s Roadside in San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building.
Oatly became a publicly traded company on Nasdaq earlier this year, with the OTLY symbol, and its products continue to perform well. Oatly’s pints are the number one fastest growing distribution brand among current brands in the overall plant-based ice cream category (excluding sorbet) and the number one dollar increase in total US food sales in that category, according to a Neilsen analysis. In 2022, the market research organization predicts that the plant-based ice cream pint category will be surpassed by dairy-free ice cream bars, both of which Oatly presently offers.
Source: “OATLY IS LAUNCHING VEGAN OAT MILK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM BARS AT 3,000 STORES” by VegNews
