5 Main Threats To Your Ice Cream Shop To Look Out For

Your ice cream journey doesn’t stop after you successfully open your ice cream shop. It’s just the beginning.

You’ll need to plan ahead of time and be exceedingly aware of any risks. By doing that, you will not experience the same fate as other failing ice cream stores.

In this post, I’ve compiled 5 serious threats to your ice cream store that you should look out for. So, buckle up, and we’re going to save your ice cream shop.

Here are the main threats to your ice cream shop:

1. Competition From National and International Brands
2. Lack of Experience
3. Winter Season 
4. Load Shedding 
5. Uncertain Economic Situation

Competition From National and International Brands

This is a common yet often overlooked knowledge. And this is also the usual reason why many ice cream shops fail.

In recent statistics, IBISWorld reported that there are 11,086 ice cream shop businesses in the US. Moreover, they reported that California, Texas, and New York are the States with the most ice cream stores in the US. 

That’s a lot of competition. That’s why you have to think that it’s like joining the big leagues or world championships where you compete with top ice cream brands like Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Nestle, and Dairy Queen. 

What You Can Do

It’s given that you have a lot of competition. But that can’t be the reason why you give up your dream to open an ice cream store. There are things you can do to win the competition, and here are some of them:

• Advertise and Campaign – Let the world know of your ice cream shop. You can do this by using social media to your advantage or launching email marketing campaigns. 
• Be Unique – Make your ice cream shop stand out. You can make your shop unique by giving it a little twist or taking on quirky concepts. 

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Lack of Experience

This is a prevalent business threat. It’s also understandable given that no one is a born pro. However, failing to deal with this problem will lead to the demise of your ice cream business.

This is equally true for your employees. Since some of your ice cream shop’s equipment may be unfamiliar to your employees, you can expect them to spend their time mastering them, which may result in a decrease in production.

What You Can Do

As stated by Benjamin Franklin, “by failing to plan, you are preparing to fail.” Planning everything saves you from failing. And inexperience can be easily solved by planning ahead of time and doing other things like:

• Research and Learn – You can’t just leap into the ice cream industry without knowing anything about ice cream. What you can do is attend seminars or educate yourself about the ice cream business. 
• Provide Proper Training – Be sure that your employees are well equipped and provide them with proper training, especially when handling your shop’s latest equipment. 

Winter Season 

Although ice cream is one of everyone’s favorite sweets, it’s a different story in the winter, when some people prefer a warm treat over an iced one.

A Midwest consumer research organization discovered that individuals are 3.36 times less likely to buy ice cream during the chilly months than the warmer ones. This implies lower sales for your ice cream store during the winter season.

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What You Can Do

This doesn’t mean that you won’t have any customers during winter. It’s still the ice cream we’re talking about. You can still have impressive sales during winter by doing these things:

• Offer Seasonal Flavors – You can attract customers by having seasonal flavors, such as Peppermint Hot Chocolate ice cream, on your menu. 
• Offer Promos – Make your ice cream sell out this winter by offering discounts and other promotions.

Load Shedding 

Load shedding happens when companies minimize electricity use by turning off the power supply for reasons such as an inadequate supply of electricity, keeping distribution cables from overloading, or extreme weather.

This has a significant impact on ice cream shops. When load shedding occurs, ice cream shops have to defrost, set aside their stock,  and insulate it in a sealed container until power is restored, which could lead to lower-quality of ice cream. 

What You Can Do

Although this is a serious threat to your ice cream shop, you can still minimize its damage to your business. Since load shedding is something you can’t prevent, you can focus on:

• Investing in Alternative Energy Sources – You don’t have to spend a lot of money. A small, inexpensive generator will be enough to give you an interim fill-in source of electricity and spare you hours of lost output.
• Think of a Different Schedule – You can set a different timetable for ice cream preparation and working hours for your employees.

Uncertain Economic Situation

Another serious threat to your ice cream business is the unstable economy. You’ll have to look out for recession and rising global inflation. 

The International Monetary Fund reported that global growth is expected to drop from 6.0 percent in 2021 to 3.2 percent in 2022 and 2.7 percent in 2023, while global inflation is expected to increase from 8.8 percent in 2022 before falling to 6.5 percent in 2023 and 4.1 percent in 2024.

This is bad news, not just for your ice cream shop, but for any businesses. This basically means that your sales are prone to spiral.

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What You Can Do

Even though the economic situation is something way out of our control, you can still rescue your ice cream shop by following these tips:

• Manage Your Staff – Instead of cutting a lot of workers to save money, you can try reducing work hours or using job-sharing arrangements.
• Networking – Establishing new partnerships and customers during a global economic downturn can save your ice cream business. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, these are the 5 main threats to your ice cream shop:

1. Competition From National and International Brands – You’ll compete with a lot of big names in the ice cream industry. 
2. Lack of Experience – Not planning and not knowing anything about ice cream can cause the failure of your ice cream shop.
3. Winter Season – Ice cream is not that popular during the cold season.
4. Load Shedding – Power outages can cause lower-quality ice cream.
5. Uncertain Economic Situation – The unstable status of the economy brings a lot of problems to your ice cream business. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more on how to start your own ice cream/gelato business check out my startup documents here

This blog post is provided for informational purposes only. The information contained is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney.