Why Ice Cream Is the Perfect Summer Marketing Tool For Your Grocery Store

There's no better time to increase your grocery store's foot traffic than the warm months of summer. After all, more people are prone to visiting their favorite shops and stores when the weather is nice. Satisfying their craving for ice cream is simply the cherry on top of a perfect day.

It makes sense that marketing and ice cream go hand in hand. Countless frozen yogurt shops and ice cream stores are able to make the brunt of the year's profits during summer. But grocery stores are often overlooked in lieu of a hand-made sundae. This is in spite of your bulk supplies of ice cream, the endless number of toppings, customizable ice cream cups, eco-friendly paper drinking straws, and the cheaper options that customers tend to ignore. With all these benefits, grocery stores are the true ice cream aficionados; with a great marketing strategy, you can showcase your strengths to a larger volume of customers.

It doesn't matter if you're a part of a bigger chain or an independent grocer; here's why you should invest in a great ice cream marketing strategy.

You've got all the right supplies

The problem with ice cream stores is that they don't have the room to display their products. Their toppings are kept behind cold glass containers and they only have a few ice cream flavors to choose from at any given time. While there's a certain element of customizability in an ice cream shop, there's no guarantee that they will have your favorite toppings in-store. Other than a few posters and online ads showcasing their summer deals, ice cream shops are truly meant for people who are looking for ice cream. That means that they're missing out on a number of customers that might otherwise be in your grocery store.

Unlike ice cream shops, grocery stores have the unique ability to pull in just about any shopper. As the student picks up a candy bar or the busy father buys another bag of diapers, your ice cream section serves as a marketing campaign on its own. Every time someone enters your doors, you might be able to hook a new ice cream customer. And with so much room to use in your grocery store, you can set up the best displays to pique a passerby's interest.

As a grocery store, you're used to buying items in bulk. This means that you have endless opportunities to appeal to a variety of tastes. The options are endless when you supply your customers with the right materials. Better yet, you can edit these displays to showcase certain ideas. For example:

• By highlighting paper supplies, like 6 oz red cups for ice cream, straws and more, you can ensure a customer's summer pool party or birthday celebration goes without a hitch. Emphasize the ease of cleanup!
• Are you in the mood for a milkshake night? Showcase your eco-friendly paper drinking straws, 4 oz dessert cups, 8 oz ice cream containers with lids and your state-of-the-art blender. your state-of-the-art blender. And don't forget to feature our charming 4 oz pink ice cream cups for a delightful serving option that adds a pop of color to any frozen treat! These options are perfect for hot summer nights spent sipping milkshakes by the pool. You can even appeal to healthy eaters by decorating your display with fruity ice cream toppings like bananas, strawberries, and mango.
• You can even appeal to healthy eaters by decorating your display with fruity ice cream toppings like bananas, strawberries, and mango.

Try changing up your display each week to encourage a variety of customers to buy your ice cream. For an added bonus, you can even print out some recipes showcasing the items on your display. You would be surprised at how many sales you can pull in with the right display.

Discounts

Ice cream shops aren't known for their affordability. When a busy family wants the best products at a low price, grocery stores have the unique opportunity to discount select items. Best of all? It doesn't even have to be on your ice cream.

Along with your ice cream display, you can include discounts for paper ice cream cups to go, eco-friendly paper drinking straws, ice cream scoopers, fun bowls, and more. By discounting parallel items to your ice cream, you can encourage more shoppers to buy increasing numbers of supplies. You can even invest in Uniq branded ice cream cups and 8 oz purple ice cream cups to get the word out about your amazing products. Opt for fun colors and a great design to encourage any passerby to visit your shop.

Host a fun event

One of the best parts about running a grocery store is the fun events you can hold. Between cooking classes, craft parties, and storytimes, there are a number of opportunities to connect with the public. Emphasizing kid-friendly activities are essential in the summer when busy parents are out of ideas to entertain their kids. Hosting an ice cream making event is easier than ever; after all, you have all the ingredients you need right in your store!

If you're worried that making your own ice cream might get a little messy, you can always host a build-your-own sundae or milkshake event, too. This allows kids to get creative and experiment with a variety of flavors to make the perfect combination. Even if the ice cream tastes icky by the end, you can rest assured that the whole family will have plenty of fun sipping their creations through eco-friendly paper drinking straws. This also allows for a greater variety of people to sample your luxurious toppings. Who knows? An event like this can even introduce a customer to their new favorite topping.

Keep in mind that fun events don't have to be just for kids; you can also host an ice cream challenge event for the truly competitive. Who can make the best milkshake? Who can come up with the best ice cream sundae? Be sure to advertise for this event and take pictures of the winners with your custom-branded items. Featuring the recipe of the winner in your store can boost sales and make you feel more connected to your local community!

Invest in novelty items

Ice cream shop flavors are often limited to their specific suppliers. As a grocer, you're constantly testing out new flavors and buying bulk options for your customers. When summer rolls around, you have the opportunity to invest in more on-the-go options for busy customers on the run. Individual novelty bars sell like hotcakes throughout the summer. By establishing a new cooler featuring all these items, you can rest assured that your sales will increase. 

But if you don't want to purchase new supplies, you can also serve ice cream in your own store! Everyone loves an ice cream bar and many patrons will get hungry as they shop. Choose a specific time during the week, like a Friday or Saturday, and serve patrons scoops of their favorite ice cream at a lower price than nearby shops. This also enables you to flaunt your eco-friendly paper drinking straws, UNIQIFY frozen yogurt cups, and colorful gelato spoons.

When you're ready to invest in the best ice cream supplies in the market, rely on the UNIQIFY products by Frozen Dessert Supplies. Whether you're looking for plastic spoons, eco-friendly paper drinking straws, 12 oz containers with lids, or ice cream cups to go, we have everything you need to make a splash this summer. Try out these innovative marketing tips and contact Frozen Dessert Supplies today to make your grocery store a little sweeter.