Make Them Scream for Ice Cream
Knowing what drives ice cream sales can give you the competitive edge
Ice cream is a universal treat—just take a look of the burgeoning ice cream shop segment for proof of its appeal. According to a recent Mintel Menu Insights report, ice cream shop sales have grown 9% from 2005-09. In honor of National Dairy Month, we’re taking a dive into the psychology of those who indulge in sweet, cold ice cream, because understanding the psychographics can help build a profitable ice cream menu.
Ice cream holds strong family appeal. But how do you entice each family member to indulge? From Mintel, December 2009: “For households with kids, toppings are important. In addition, kids are highly sensitive to brand names so the availability of these products is influential.” According to that same report, women enjoy variety in flavors of ice cream while men are looking for quality of ice cream and brand availability of toppings/mix-ins. The fact that men also are more apt to value name brand products clearly illustrates they link brand with quality. To that end, it behooves operators to clearly mark and display branded toppings.” Older consumers, such as grandparents, are more concerned about the basics and less interested in toppings.
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