11 Ways to Increase Winter Ice Cream Sales
There are things you can do to combat the seasonality of the ice cream business.
How to Increase Ice Cream Sales in the Winter
1. Partner with businesses that thrive in the winter
Forming business partnerships is a good idea, especially if you’re located in an area with winter tourist attractions. Some of these places are busiest during the winter. Ski resorts and ice skating rinks are two examples. Your ice cream shop will benefit if these businesses send their customers your way. Ice cream tastes good after a physical activity.
2. Use social media
Temperature does not affect the need for people to eat food. In the winter, people need more reasons to go outside the house, get through the cold weather, and visit your shop. The commute is the most unpleasant part of the journey. You can help by posting mouth-watering pictures of your food on social media. Casually remind them of what you have to offer.
You can utilize influencers in your social media campaigns. This is what Hokey Pokey Ice Cream Creations did. They saw an increase of 40% in sales revenue growth rate after implementing a seven-step social media marketing process.
3. Serve good ice cream
Customers need to satisfy their cravings even if it’s raining or snowing.
If your ice cream is that good, people will think about it no matter what the weather is outside. The demand for premium ice cream has increased according to the International Dairy Foods Association.
Therefore, continuously improve the quality of your products by conducting blind taste tests and asking for feedback. Don’t stop until you come across a concoction that will make even the most dedicated ice cream connoisseurs smile.
4. Focus on hot beverages
Hot beverages will be one of your best sellers in the winter. When it’s cold outside, people want something that warms up their bodies and their spirits. Serve hot chocolate, freshly brewed coffee, and maybe even soup. Afterward, your customers will be ready for the main course: ice cream.
Hot and cold.
These two extremities make life that much more exciting. Children will give their parents that extra push so that everyone can enjoy some ice cream.
5. Set up visual displays
Give people a reason to take pictures and share them online. You can install a sculpture or other art piece dedicated to ice cream. It can be funny, cool, or fun.
When people share their pictures online, their friends will ask them about the location. More people will know about your ice cream shop. Overall, it’s a clever marketing strategy designed to increase foot traffic. Convert that foot traffic into paying customers.
6. Sell other desserts
There’s always room for dessert. Focus on selling desserts in general instead of just ice cream. The dessert category encompasses things like cake and freshly baked pies. Recipes require similar ingredients regardless of the temperature of the final product. You’re selling the same ingredients, just packaged differently. Therefore, cater to everyone’s sweet tooth and you should be fine.
7. Decorate the exterior of your store
Embrace the holiday season by putting up signs and banners with festive colors. Look at Macy’s department stores for inspiration. Their Christmas window displays are very well known. Complement the decorations with music that reflects the holiday season. All of this will attract people walking by. Eating inside will feel like a celebration.
8. Offer discounts
Another marketing tactic for the winter would be to put your ice cream on sale. Some revenue is better than no revenue. You can even introduce an inverse relationship between discount percentage and the current temperature. As the temperature decreases, discounts increase. This concept would incentivize people to buy ice cream even when it’s freezing cold.
9. Introduce unique holiday flavors
People look forward to limited edition winter holiday flavors from their favorite restaurants. Flavors like eggnog and candy cane feel so right during that time of year.
10. Have good Wi-Fi
People go to coffee shops to work. Try to see if you can create the same kind of atmosphere with your ice cream shop. Fast internet access is a must, especially for students.
11. Cater to customers on the go
Not everyone wants to eat ice cream on the spot in the winter. It might be too cold. Plus, it also gets messy when people have heavy coats and scarves on. Some customers would rather eat ice cream within the comfort of their own homes. Make it easy for them to by selling ice cream by the pint.
Design your packaging for customers to be able to just grab-and-go. Packaging plays an important role in purchasing decisions, as indicated by this research study.