Perhaps more than any other food, ice cream is often sold as much on its appearance as anything else. Customers should be in awe of the colours on display, taking time to appreciate the care and thought that has gone into presentation. Half empty trays, carelessly strewn scoops and, even worse, mint choc chip specks infiltrating the rum and raisin do not bode well for prospective customers. Starting with a good quality freezer unit, it is then up to the individual to create displays they can be proud of.
For ice cream vendors that run portable concessions and travel from event to event, the issue of attracting customers is incredibly important. More often than not, there will be competition from all sides and a sunny day is no longer enough to entice potential consumers. Clearly presented and professionally produced signage works well to both attract people to a stall and subsequently to guide them through their choices. Flavours should be clearly labelled and pricing must be too. This is particularly important if there is something unique about the ice cream on offer, especially in comparison to competitors; is it home-made? Is it organic? Is it suitable for lactose intolerant customers?
In addition to highlighting these points, do not be afraid of ‘too much colour’ as standing out in a crowd is often all about being bright and bold. Consider the placement of your signs too. Positioned at a lower level they can too easily be concealed by customers, positioned too high and they can only appeal to a certain height of passer-by. The best ice cream display freezers will have plenty of space to hold items on a shelf above the product itself, allowing menus and so on to be featured at an optimum height without obscuring the star of the show: the ice cream.
But the best ice cream displays do not stop with the ice cream itself. Customers appreciate choice and that includes cones, sauces and extras. Smart, hygienic stands are available for the range of cones on offer. Not only do these perform the role of marketing the cones in an aesthetically pleasing way, they are also a highly practical way of dispensing the cones when required. This is particularly effective when the sun is bright in the sky and the queue of patrons is long as it can streamline productivity and enhance customer satisfaction.
Experience suggests that although the customer is, of course, always right that does not mean they should be left in charge of a) raspberry sauce bottles or b) hundreds and thousands. It is for the seller to control the distribution of anything that falls under the category of sundries, both to maintain cleanliness and also stock control.
The making, promoting and selling of ice cream is a long-standing tradition. It continues to be a part of everyone’s childhood and getting a display right can mean the difference between hundreds and thousands.
