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Wells Brings Nutella Ice Cream and Kinder Bueno Frozen Dessert to U.S. Freezers

PR Newswire · 10/08/2025 12:00

Premium pints and cones to be previewed at NACS 2025 and positioned to drive incremental traffic and premium growth for retailers and convenience operators

LE MARS, Iowa, Oct. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wells Enterprises today announced plans to debut Nutella Ice Cream and Kinder Bueno Frozen Dessert at the upcoming NACS Show in Chicago, October 14–17. The two new frozen treats, available in both pints* and cones, will begin shipping to convenience distributors on December 1, 2025, with broader retail distribution planned for spring 2026. Created to expand the frozen category, these offerings are expected to attract new shoppers, boost overall frozen dessert sales, and reinforce Wells' leadership in frozen innovation.

"Wells has a century of ice cream expertise and a passion for innovation," said Isabella Chia, Chief Marketing Officer at Wells Enterprises. "By combining that expertise with the global love of Nutella and Kinder Bueno, we are opening a new premium space in frozen treats that delights consumers, strengthens the frozen aisle, and drives incremental sales for our retail and convenience partners."

Market Impact and Category Growth

Nutella Ice Cream and Kinder Bueno Frozen Dessert represent the next wave of premium innovation from Wells, building on the company's proven track record of creating incremental growth in frozen treats.

Ice Cream Candy Bars, Wells' latest frozen innovation, have already proven to be powerful category builders. According to NielsenIQ, 40 percent of sales are incremental to the ice cream category and 60 percent incremental to mainstream handheld treats (Total U.S. xAOC, 52 weeks ending Aug. 23, 2025). In just nine months, the portfolio has generated more than $18 million in retail sales, added two million new households, and reached 1.2 percent household penetration.

Within that portfolio, candy-bar novelties such as Butterfinger (#5 top-selling new handheld item) and 100 Grand (#8) have driven strong category momentum; in ice cream–based novelties alone, Butterfinger ranks #2 and 100 Grand ranks #4 (NielsenIQ, Total U.S. xAOC, 52 weeks ending Aug. 23, 2025).

This success provides a strong foundation for Nutella Ice Cream and Kinder Bueno Frozen Dessert, which are positioned to premiumize the cone segment, where premium offerings remain underdeveloped at less than two percent of the market, and to capture share in the premium pint segment, which already accounts for more than 75 percent of total pint sales (NielsenIQ, Total U.S. xAOC, 52 weeks ending Sept. 13, 2025).

"Nutella Ice Cream and Kinder Bueno Frozen Dessert are just the beginning of a pipeline of bold new concepts designed to keep convenience-store and grocery freezers exciting and profitable," Chia added. "These launches underscore Wells' commitment to category-leading innovation and to partnering with retailers to create new growth across the frozen dessert aisle."

Product Details and Channel Availability

  • First shipments to convenience distributors are planned for December 1, 2025, ensuring early placement in that channel ahead of broader retail distribution scheduled for spring 2026.
  • Nutella Ice Cream delivers the unmistakable taste of Nutella® with swirls of Nutella® in every bite, available in 14-fluid-ounce pints* and 3.04-fluid-ounce single-serve cones.
  • Kinder Bueno Frozen Dessert features creamy hazelnut flavored frozen dessert with a delightful combination of tastes and crispy textures that brings the signature Kinder Bueno one-of-a-kind experience into frozen. Available in 14-fluid-ounce pints* and 3.04-fluid-ounce single-serve cones.
  • Nutella® is the number one chocolate spreads brand¹ with 98 percent brand awareness² and ranks second among all food products in consumer "fan love"³, offering retailers a powerful growth driver (¹Nov 2021 Euromonitor | Chocolate Spreads Brand Shares | Sweet Spreads Brand Share | IRI, KANTAR, NIELSEN - HH Buyers - top 15 : BEL (Apr 19), CAN (Aug 20), AUS, POL, RUS, SPA, GER, SAU (Dec 20), BRA, MEX (Jan 21), ITA, TUR, UK, USA, FRA (Feb 21). ²Ipsos BVC 2024. ³socialbakers – 2018 (1st brand is Oreo) | Equity 2020 ITA GER FRA RUS GB Equity 2019 CAN BRA USA – Equity 2017 BE KSA AUS POL).
  • Kinder Bueno is a top-five chocolate innovation launch of the past five years¹ and is winning Gen Z's attention driving impressive growth in brand equity amongst Gen Z consumers², making it uniquely positioned to draw younger shoppers into the frozen aisle (¹Circana, MULO+C, Kinder Bueno $ Sales, L52 we 12.29.2024, ²Erika Wheless, "Gen Z Brands: New Balance, The Gap, Uniqlo, Ugg," AdAge, February 20, 2025).
  • The launch of these new products will be supported via heavy media investment. 

Consumer Demand and Pull

  • Wells consumer testing confirms strong overall liking, with 90 percent of participants saying Nutella Ice Cream cones fit the brand⁴ and 91 percent of participants saying Nutella Ice Cream pints* fit the brand⁵.
  • Kinder Bueno testing showed equally strong results. Ninety-two percent of participants rated the cone top two-box for overall liking and 94 percent for unique taste, with 91 percent citing high quality and 85 percent calling it a one-of-a-kind product6. The pint format scored 4.60 out of 5 in overall liking, with 84 percent of consumers trusting the quality and finding the texture pleasant, and 86 percent describing it as unique7.

These results give retailers confidence in rapid household penetration and repeat sales across the frozen aisle.

(⁴Nutella IC Cone Standard Taste Test + QL Home-Placement, May 2025. ⁵Nutella IC Pint Standard Taste Test + QL Home-Placement, June 2025. 6Kinder Bueno IC Cone Standard Taste Test + QL Home-Placement, May 2025;7Kinder Bueno IC Pint Standard Taste Test + QL Home-Placement, June 2025).

About Wells Enterprises

Wells Enterprises, Inc. is the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 1913 by Fred H. Wells and run by the Wells family for generations, the company is part of the Ferrero Group, one of the global leaders in sweet, packaged foods. 

Wells produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year and distributes products in all 50 states. Wells manufactures its signature brand Blue Bunny®, lower-calorie Halo Top®, the iconic Bomb Pop®, and Blue Ribbon Classics®.

Wells employs nearly 4,000 ice cream aficionados across the country. The company is headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, where Wells has made Le Mars the "Ice Cream Capital of the World" as the largest manufacturer of ice cream in one location.  Wells operates two manufacturing plants in Le Mars, Iowa, a manufacturing plant in Dunkirk, New York, and a manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada. Learn more at www.wellsenterprisesinc.com.

*We use the term "Pints" to refer to the relevant segment within the ice cream category but note that our Nutella and Kinder Bueno tubs will be 14 fluid ounces, by volume.

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SOURCE Wells Enterprises