Not even a pandemic has managed to keep Aussies off their ice cream. No matter what, ice cream seems to be getting the thumbs up.
By Nerine Zoio.
The coronavirus has gone so far that it is also noticeable in the ice cream category, says IRI consultant Sam Palmer.
"The pandemic really boosted sales during the colder times when ice cream wasn't historically in high demand," he told Retail World. "So that was good for the category, including ice cream makers who have been very busy with lockdown, while their demand planning is usually geared towards the November to February cycle when it gets warmer."
“As a result, the pressure to bring ice cream products to supermarket shelves was one of the biggest challenges in this category during this period. We noticed this pressure across the board, especially at peak times when panic buying was highest.
"People really wanted to buy what they could and everything on the shelf was sold."
Even when panic buying subsided, ice cream sales remained strong well into the summer season.
"The magnitude of the performance is not yet known, but I can imagine there will be strong demand through the summer and it won't subside, given the coronavirus impact and restrictions, of course," Palmer said.
"But overall, the popularity of ice cream has changed a lot."
Read the full ice cream feature in the latest issue of Retail World magazine.
Trouble becomes a triumph for a cool delicacy that first appeared in Retail World Magazine.
