Although winter has officially arrived that doesn’t mean that ice cream sales have to disappear. One of the benefits of ice cream is that it is a product that can be enjoyed all year round. Although sales are always much higher in the summer months they can still be very healthy when autumn and winter arrive. If you have an ice cream business there are a number of simple ways that you can capitalise on winter ice cream sales.
It’s all about the take home ice cream now
You will rarely see someone walking along a street in winter eating an ice cream, even though this is often a common occurrence during the summer months. So, at this time of year it’s essential to switch focus to take home ice cream products if you want to ensure that you capitalise on winter ice cream sales. That might mean offering a different range of products, new packaging that enables ice cream to be transported home or shifting marketing to reflect this different approach.
Don’t forget the impulse buys
When it comes to spontaneous ice cream purchasing we tend to assume that this mostly takes place during the summertime. However, winter can also provide plenty of opportunities for encouraging customers to buy. For example, many people have dinner parties and might be looking for a simple pudding to serve. The weather often encourages cosy nights in and a bowl of ice cream with a film is often exactly what many people want after a hard week at work. Ice cream impulse buys can still be plentiful at this time of year, all you need to do is tap into those moments when customers are likely to consider them.
Seasonal flavours can help you to diversify
It’s often during the winter months that an opportunity for selling seasonal flavours really opens up. In the summer, people tend to enjoy ice cream of any flavour but during autumn and winter we have a lot of specific cravings. So, for example, this might be a great time to experiment with a Christmas pudding ice cream or to introduce a pumpkin flavour. Spices such as cinnamon and ginger always go down well at this time of year and boozy, warming ice creams are also very popular.
Focus on the ‘big night in’
The run up to Christmas often sees people budgeting furiously and lower temperatures and rain frequently mean we switch from a big night out to a big night in. Ice cream can have a key role to play in a big night in, offering an easy sweet treat that also has a celebratory feel. Whether it’s served with home made pudding or cake or converted into a sundae, most consumers can easily be convinced that buying ice cream for a big night in is a great idea.
Ice cream sales don’t have to drop off completely in the winter – there are plenty of ways to ensure that they stay healthy at this time of year.