Ice cream and summer are a perfect combination. Everyone loves to eat lusciously delicious ice cream after basking in the summer heat and doing their favorite outdoor activities. Hence, summer is the most awaited time for ice cream shop owners because sales are expected to soar as foot traffic increases, outdoor activities peak, and the weather favors cold treats. Maximize the season and double your sales using strategic marketing tips.
Seven ways to increase ice cream sales in summer are to sell and upsell, sell other desserts, take advantage of in-line impulse buying concept, concoct unique flavors and play mix and match, tap up with local businesses, and events, be the social media influencer’s haven, and offer delivery service.
Sell & Upsell
To generate more sales in summer, focus on what you do best and what your goal is- to sell. Once you already made a sale, proactively upsell other products too. This may sound like a hassle, especially with the long lines of customers waiting to be served, but you can do it through multi-tasking. You can add a friendly note in your shop’s POS system to remind your servers to upsell beverages, confections, desserts, and toppings.
- Sell other Desserts
Ice cream shops don’t necessarily have to sell ice cream products only. Explore your options and add other sweet treats, refreshing beverages, and delicious desserts to your product line. This adds average check value to your business while making it a one-stop shop for food lovers.
Offering a wide variety of food options is like accommodating as many customers as you can. Some of the food options you can offer are cookies, brownies, pies, crepes, cakes, and other pastries.
You can even sell fries, and to maximize your fryer, you can also offer fried ice cream. For beverages, some of the best ideas include milkshakes, soft drinks, bottled water, frozen yogurts, and coffee. The young ones can enjoy their ice cream in cones, while the older ones can grab a dessert, a refreshment, or coffee.
8 Things You Can Do With Your Ice Cream Shop In The Winter
- Take Advantage of In-line Impulse Buying Concept
Have you noticed some things displayed near the POS machine and wondered why they have to put them there instead of elsewhere in the shop? Well, they’re displayed in that specific area for a reason- marketing strategy.
In-line impulse is a concept wherein you subtly present the products near the cashier where people check out their purchases to trigger the impulsive buying behavior of consumers. People usually have no plans to buy these items, but because it’s accessible, the impulsive rush urges them to buy.
In-line impulse options help increase ice cream sales during summer, especially when foot traffic is at its peak. To encourage more customers to buy your products, decorate your product trays with colorful designs making them hard to resist.
- Concoct Unique Flavors and Play Mix and Match
It’s important to offer the timeless classic flavors that everyone loves. They not only bring back childhood memories but also brings out the child in you. Flavors are powerful because it leaves an unconscious imprint in our brain captivating and triggering cravings.
It’s also a good business decision to add unique flavors to help your shop stand out and be remembered as a creative and unique ice cream shop in the area. Introduce something different, don’t be afraid to explore flavors, and be innovative in making unique mix and match whether on the toppings or confections
You can also introduce an all-vegan ice cream, dairy-free ice cream, and all-natural ingredients outsourced from local farms. Through this, you are not only generating revenue but also doing something relevant to your community by supporting local farmers and suppliers. This will create a positive and lasting impact on your business and you will gain a network of local entrepreneurs who might help you boost your business in the future.
Tap up with Local Businesses and Events
Outsourcing is a powerful tool in business so take advantage of it. Look for restaurants, gastro hubs, and event venues that you can collaborate with. You can supply your ice cream and other desserts to them and offer them lower prices for bulk orders.
The typical setup in this type of partnership is to include your ice cream and other food products on their menu as a dessert. This way, they get to save on production and labor costs, plus they can mark up the prices.
Or, you can ask them if they will allow you to open a stall outside or inside their establishment or event venue.
Why Selling Ice Cream Is A Good Business
- Be the Social Media Influencers’ Haven
One of your strongest markets is teenagers and adults. These age brackets are also active on social media. So to increase your ice cream sales in summer, convert your shop into a social media influencers’ haven to entice teenagers and adults to check out your shop and your products.
You can add a giant ice cream cone, an ice cream standee, a sculpture, and other attractive decorations to catch customers’ attention. Use bright and vibrant colors to lighten up the mood. You can also add trendy aesthetics to encourage customers to take selfies, food photography, and groufies to post on their social media accounts. Aside from the free advertisement you’ll get, you will also boost your social media visibility.
- Offer Delivery Service
Get closer to your customers by offering delivery service within the nearby areas of your shop. If they’re too busy, tired, or just don’t feel like going out to grab some ice cream, why not be the one to deliver them to their doorstep? You can do this for a minimal delivery fee or for free depending on what works for you.
With the delivery service, you sure will stand out from your competitors. You might think that delivering ice cream during a hot season is a perfect recipe for disaster, but it’s not if you do it right. To prevent melting, use insulated packaging and add gel packs around it and limit your delivery areas to the ones near your shop’s vicinity.
Conclusion
Summertime is the peak season for ice cream shop owners, so to increase sales, you can sell and upsell, sell other desserts, take advantage of in-line impulse buying concept, concoct unique flavors and play mix and match, tap up with local businesses and events, be the social media influencer’s haven, and offer delivery service.
There are a lot of ways to boost your revenue during summer. The above recommendations are just a few of what you could possibly do to double your profits. Whatever strategy you choose, always remember to keep grinding during summer to compensate for the potential losses in winter. It’s better to be prepared for whatever could happen in non-peak season. And most of all, have fun while earning!
Five Tips To Make Your Ice Cream Shop Stand Out
Frequently Asked Questions
According to surveys, chocolate got 26% of total responses and ranked as the most popular ice cream topping. Caramel ranks second with 18%. You can use this data in choosing what topping flavors to offer during summer to boost your profits.
Weather affects consumers’ buying activity and decision-making. The same idea goes with ice cream; the weather is a huge factor that affects consumers’ cravings and choices. During the hot summer season, people are more likely to buy frozen treats and beverages to keep them refreshed from the scorching heat of the sun. However, during the winter season, people prefer hot meals and beverages to keep them warm from the chilly air and frozen earth’s surface.
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.
Hi! I am Shawn and I am a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online ice cream/gelato business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a ice cream/gelato business owner, I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Ice Cream Business Boss: I want to help ice cream and gelato business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.