Five Ways to Increase Your Ice Cream Shop Sales

Although almost everyone enjoys ice cream, it can be difficult to increase sales in some cases. Sales may increase during the summer and decrease when winter comes. Fortunately, there are numerous solutions to this problem.

Five ways to increase your ice cream shop sales are to upsell by including additional products, customize unique flavors, team up with the restaurants and supermarkets in your community, use social media to advertise your shop, and set up a tasting bar.    

I’ve gathered a few creative ways to help your ice cream business increase sales and expand into new markets.

Upsell by including additional products

If you own an ice cream shop, you should not only sell ice cream. Upselling and cross-selling will help you increase the average check value by adding more items to the menu. Aside from ice cream, the following items can be sold in an ice cream shop:

• Gelato – a type of Italian ice cream that contains the same ingredients as American ice cream but in different proportions.
• Frozen Yogurt –  made from a mixture of yogurt, milk, and cream
• Soda beverages – Non Alcoholic beverages that are usually but not always carbonated and contain a natural or artificial sweetener, edible acids, natural or artificial flavors, and sometimes juice.
• Milkshake – a sweet beverage made by combining milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners
• Coffee – a drink made from roasted coffee beans

When someone orders an ice cream sundae, you can ask if they’d like a refreshing drink to go with it. If parents come in to buy ice cream for their children, offer them a cup of iced coffee. You’ll gradually increase the check value.

Customize unique flavors

This indicates that you are not only providing your customers with the standard, traditional flavors that they can buy anywhere else. To produce fresh and fascinating flavors, develop distinctive flavors and experiment with recipes. Traditional flavors are acceptable, but don’t limit yourself to them. Instead, experiment with other seasonal flavors all year to provide your customers with a variety.

You can upsell a unique flavor to every customer after creating it. This is to make them aware of the new product’s launch and will be motivated to try it. In addition to increasing sales, giving away a free sample encourages people to explore new items.

Permits To Get When Opening An Ice Cream Shop

Team up with the restaurants and supermarkets in your community

Every business in your community that isn’t a direct rival is a possible ally for you and your ice cream shop. After all, local businesses need to support one another. 

Partnerships with other businesses are a great option if you’re wondering how to market your ice cream shop in the area. Ask if nearby restaurants would allow you to install a sundae bar outside or within their structure for customers searching for a frozen treat after a satisfying meal. Similar to this, inquire as to whether you can install a sampling bar at a nearby grocery store. This will assist you in gaining additional clients, whom you can then entice to your establishment with a discount coupon code.

Use social media to advertise your shop

Your website and social media platforms can play a significant role in your ice cream shop’s digital marketing plan. Even the smallest business may connect with the wider world through social media. With it, you can establish a distinctive online identity and engage in conversation with a huge audience, including current customers, potential new ones, competitors, and suppliers.

Numerous social media marketing platforms can be used to promote your business and allow you to create your website, interact with your customers, and share information. 

Social media presence and activity are two important matters to consider. Start with Facebook, Instagram, and also Twitter. Consider expanding out on TikTok once you’ve gotten the hang of these major platforms. Through social networks and other websites, you may establish a business profile, interact with customers, and run advertisements. Promote your events on social media, share your daily offers and discounts, and ask for feedback from your customers.

Four Ways to Attract Customers to Your Ice Cream Shop

Set up a tasting bar

Customers respond favorably to pop-up events because they are entertaining and exciting. They offer exclusive deals for a brief period before moving on to the next event, at a different business or even a different location. Pop-up events offer ice cream shop owners a wonderful opportunity to diversify and broaden their customer base without incurring additional startup costs.

You’d be amazed by how many supermarkets and shops are open to hosting these partnership events. You can compete directly with established best-sellers by placing a small tasting bar by the door or in the frozen section next to freezers where your items are prominently displayed. While shopping, customers can pause to converse, inquire, try a few flavors, and grab a tub from freezers. Even better, ask them to sample unique flavors so you can determine whether to add them or not to your standard menu.

Conclusion

The five ways to increase your ice cream shop sales are to upsell by including additional products, customize unique flavors, team up with the restaurants and supermarkets in your community, use social media to advertise your shop, and set up a tasting bar. Although ice cream shops are sometimes thought of as a gentler type of restaurant, they are actually capable of making enormous profits, especially during the summer months when sales are at their highest.

Four Reasons Why Gelato Costs More Than Ice Cream

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.