If you're looking to add additional profits to your frozen dessert or ice cream store then you'll want to produce your own novelty ice cream products. By making, packaging and selling various novelty items for the customer to take with them you can help drive additional sales. Novelty items don't just have to be frozen or made of ice cream, they can be side items that compliment or enhance your main offerings.
Ice Cream Trends
If you step into a grocery store in 2017 you will realize that the ice cream section has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. A couple of years ago you used to go into the ice cream section and see rows and rows of half gallons of ice cream with a few different flavors. Now if you walk down that same aisle the whole look of it is different. Today, you can walk down the exact same aisle but the products that are displayed are totally different. Instead of a selection of half gallons, there is a variety of novelty products that are more personalized and come in a variety of different flavors. A great example of this movement is the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream franchise.
Ben and Jerry's has moved from producing half gallons of ice cream to personalized servings that someone can eat in 2-3 sittings (or all at once if you like me). With their unique combinations of flavors and ingredients and a great branding strategy, they have been one of the most successful ice cream companies in the United States this decade. Ben and Jerry's captured its target market right when the industry trend started to move towards a more personalized ice cream with smaller sizes and a variety of mixed flavors and ingredients.
You can do the same
If you're making your own ice cream you'll want to start packaging it into pint or quart containers for the customer to take with them. Designing a visually appealing package will also help brand your store. Once you have your pints and quarts stocked up you can start making additional items such as custom cakes, popsicles or birthday trays.
Display it properly
You've put in the work to create your own novelty brand so make sure you display it properly. Make it front and center in a display case where the customer can't help to resist. Eye placement of the product is very important so having the right display case is paramount.
Once you start producing your own ice cream and novelty items, you'll discover that the possibilities are almost endless as to what you can think up, create and sell.
Some Notes to keep in mind when trying to make the decision to produce novelty items.
- Trends are changing for novelty items. Switch pro-half-gallon sales to personalized pints or quarts with a higher quality product
- Customers will be reminded of your brand/product every time that the open the freezer to get something out of it
- Having a novelty program will not replace yours in-house sales. People will buy your original product plus a novelty product to enjoy at another time.
