Coronavirus hit the world when the season of everyone’s favorite dessert, ice cream was approaching. The fear and lockdowns had made the industry think that it is going to be a washout year for them with no chances of recovery.
The industry that had a projection to generate about $3.4 billion in 2021, saw a slump of 60-80% initially but quickly picked up in the month of June through retail stores as the lockdowns started to ease up in several parts of the country.
“Since March, when Covid-19 struck during the onset of the summer season, ARS Group has been supportive to fellow industry experts by providing consultancy to sustain during uncertain times.”, says Mr. Akshit Gupta, Director at ARS Group. Let’s also hear his views and insights on various aspects of the industry during such times.
How has the ice cream industry performed since Covid-19?
Akshit says, “The industry had seen an initial downfall due to complete lockdown. Whether you like a triple scoop of gelato or a stick layered with multiple chocolates, ice cream, the synonym with the taste of summer was going through a meltdown. But as parts of the country started to unlock, the scorching heat couldn’t stop the ice cream lovers from delving into their favorite summer dessert, making the industry recover to at least 50% rate.”
“Unlike all winters, this winter season has seen a surge of indulgence in ice cream as it became part of more and more private at-home celebrations. We have seen a hike of about 20% in the demand of ice cream and ice cream ingredients this year as compared to any other years”, said Akshit.
What are the changes & innovations in the ice cream industry?
Akshit tells us how his clients have kept up with the challenging times and made headway with recoveries through means of innovations.
There was a lockdown in the nation, but not an indulgence. What the industry saw during pre-covid times was single buys, whereas, during covid, the industry saw a surge in purchases of multipacks and voluminous packs like bricks and tubs to sustain for a longer period of time; and of course, enjoy the much-needed family time.
There has been a rise in the homemakers and home chefs who’ve turned their hobbies into home-based businesses, right on time, to gain the momentum. This gained the trust of consumers as the factor of safety also played an important role here.
Food delivery services like Swiggy and Zomato have been of great help to businesses from all walks of life and bringing ice cream closer to homes.
Businesses have got down to their own eCommerce platforms to serve their customers directly and with 100% surety of safety. This did help the brands build a relationship with the customers as well as trust that has helped them with repeat purchases.
Despite challenges like roadside vendors getting majorly affected, brands have come up with solutions to sustain and grow at an everlasting rate. “ARS Group has continually supported it’s clients in the ice cream industry through means of timely deliveries of ingredients and constant consultancy support. We are proud to have partnered with such Bravehearts to have come out of such an unprecedented situation”, shares Akshit.
At ARS, the team is innovating continually and ensuring safety measures are adhered to while they deliver world-class quality ingredients.
