Ice cream has its space in the coldest season of the year

New flavors, promotions and innovative experiences are some of the tricks that the ice cream cooler regions of the country have learned to adopt to maintain high consumption during the winter, since, unlike other consumer markets, the Brazilian tends to drift away from the product in the period.
Data from the Brazilian Association of ice cream industry (Abis) show that the industry's annual revenue reaches $ 4 billion. In volume, the accumulated growth over the past ten years reached 81.6%, with 1.2 billion liters in 2013. But the oscillation of the per capita consumption of 6.24 litres in 2012 to 6.19 liters last year, coincided with the more rigorous winter in the country. "The Brazilian joins the ice cream at high temperatures and the summer. There is still a cultural problem, "said the President of Abis, Eduardo Weisberg.
The growth in supply of premium products is helping to change the behavior. About 8 thousand manufacturers, 90% of micro and small businesses, the artisanal ice creams start to gain space, says Weisberg. The Bacio di Latte, inaugurated in 2011, is one of the precursors of the premium segment in the country. Today has nine stores in São Paulo and has just opened two in Rio de Janeiro. "When the winter came, sales decreased. But it's only a matter of time Brazilians enjoy a gelato also in winter ", Eduardo Tonolli bet, one of the partners of the ice cream shop, which registers the preference in the cold for flavors with chocolates or special blends.
In the same thread, a Puro Gusto, inaugurated at the end of last year, has just presented special versions for the season, with different versions of popsicle musses based creamier-hazelnuts, bathed in milk chocolate and amarena, bathed in white chocolate with coconut, in a variety of formats. The House also serves hot ice cream stuffed brioches. The chef Claudia Reggiani noted the drop in movement, 10% thing. "When it rains," he says.
The point is that here the ice cream still has more drink-related concept than the food or dessert. The network Los Paleteros opted to create flavors that hark back to desserts to stimulate consumption, such as key lime pie or Romeo and Juliet, the traditional mixture of cottage cheese with guava paste, in addition to pistachios and chocolate truffle, released as seasonal product at Easter, but who won the leadership in sales. The network was born in 2012 in Camboriú (Santa Catarina), to explore the market premium of palettes, as they are called in Mexico, handcrafted popsicles and already has 33 franchised units. His flagship and the strawberry with condensed milk.
"We are one of the largest customers of Nestlé to produce and consume 20 tons per month of Chilean strawberries," says founding partner Jon Chu. As expected, seasonality is the guidance to franchisees is the creation of cash reserve and preparation of applications suitable for the expected consumption pattern.
Mr. Mix, born in 2006 with complimentary ice cream and milkshakes, adopted the format of franchise in 2008 with winter menu. From there to here has tested several options. Some, like donuts and hot chocolate banana versions with cinnamon and prestige, have not survived. Others, such as the traditional versions, cappuccino and Waltz dream of hot drink, and the churros, launched last year, help to balance sales between the months of May and August.
"One of the care is to create products and campaigns that employ the existing structure and not increase the complexity of the operation," says the founder of the brand, Gemma Cabral. Another is to create different options for the hottest regions of the country. In the Northeast, the campaign of São João has the exclusive ice cream of tapioca. The participation of seasonal products should reach 7% of the total sold this year, against 5% in the past year. The network also promotes campaigns in October, in the summer, Christmas and Easter and has 160 shops opened and 40 more contracted with inauguration planned later this year, with average revenues of $ 40,000 per store.
Director of mining network salad, with three stores and 30 accredited, born from a family business for 28 years, Raquel Bravo recalls that in the first ten years the ice cream used to close in winter for lack of customers. In search of options were served salty options such as pizzas and sandwiches. The ice-creams accompanied candy pizzas, pasta, sandwich turned into. Until the idea of hot ice cream season, there are 11 years, served with side dishes warm.
This year, apart from flavors like Scotch on the rocks, the highlight is the Combine, dish served dismounted with miniporções for r $ 16,90. "The campaign accounts for 35% of sales in the period," says Raquel.