Fall is a unique time of year, at least in the Northeast. The weather starts to change along with the foliage as we transition into the winter season. This shift in the weather and scenery also means a shift in peoples food cravings, tastes and flavor palettes. Though spring and summer are the most important months for any ice cream or frozen dessert store, it doesn't mean sales have to stop once the autumn season begins to take hold. In fact, you can do some amazing things in the fall season to set yourself up for success in the spring. So, let's take advantage of the Fall season.
Though the months of October and November aren't traditionally thought of as the best months to be offering frozen desserts, they can still be extremely profitable if you offer your customers specific flavors and offerings related to the autumn season. The fall season offers really great marketing opportunities because there are flavors that are synonymous with fall. Pumpkin is a great example. Pumpkin flavored anything really begins to hit its stride in the autumn months. Try to sell anything pumpkin outside of the fall season and people will think you're crazy. However, offer pumpkin flavored anything during the fall and your customers will not only thank you but will probably think you're a genius. If you own a frozen dessert store or ice cream shop, then you need to take advantage of a flavor like this and offer it to your customers.
But pumpkin is not the only flavor your customers will be craving during the autumn season. Butternut squash, maple, brown sugar, apple, cinnamon and snickerdoodle are just a few flavors that become popular during the autumn season and are all flavors that you should incorporate into your menu once the weather begins to change. If you make your own ice cream then it is an even greater opportunity to offer these flavors to your customers because your competitors may not be able to offer the same. What's more, if you are making your own ice cream then you can experiment with other flavors and combinations that may attract more people. Whether you offer soft-serve or hard ice cream, having autumn flavors such as snickerdoodle and pumpkin can really help you kick up sales. If you offer water ice then your opportunities to offer additional flavors are even greater. Though water ice doesn't sound to appealing in cold weather, if you offer creative flavors like pumpkin spice latte that will really blow your customers away and keep them coming back for more.
Fall is not just about particular flavors however. When it comes to marketing and profits for your store in the autumn season then start thinking about what else goes on in the fall. Sports for instance is a great place to start thinking about additional revenue ideas. Ponder what sports teams get started in the fall season and think about sponsoring or partnering with some local teams in the area. Whether it's football, soccer, field hockey or tennis, try to leverage these sports teams and support their organization so that they in turn can support you. The relationship you build now with any fall related organization can carry through to the spring season giving you an extra boost in profits. Fall is also an opportunity to get involved in the new school year. Get involved in the local PTA and get connected in the community. The more you get involved within the community and school the more inclined parents, kids and other community members will go out of there way to support your business.
Lastly, autumn is a festive time for many families. We have a fun holiday at the end of October (Halloween) and other upcoming holidays in November and December. This is a perfect time and opportunity to offer gift baskets, pints and catering to parties and events. Expand your novelty line with fall flavors and start offering these unique seasonal flavors as gifts or take home products. Remember, you don't want to be just an ice cream store in the neighborhood, you want to be the neighborhood ice cream store.
