Defining your target audience is one of the most important aspects of your marketing plan for your ice cream shop or gelateria. By doing so, you will need to figure out your target market's needs, because this will help you develop more creative and effective strategies. Business owners can end up losing money, time and effort on people who are uninterested on their business, and this is something you have to avoid. It may seem a daunting task, but everything will be worth it if you plan it well.
So who really is the ideal customer at an ice cream shop? Ice cream is everyone’s favorite, and that includes families with children, teenagers and adults. There are some who have their own preferences, trying to find new flavors for their own ultimate gelato or ice cream experience. They are prominent customers as well.
Families with Children
Ice cream preferences vary depending on age and gender. According to surveys, African American households love a larger range of frozen dessert products and their monthly consumption is much larger than those average American households. Also 34% of households with children consume 4 or more quarts of ice cream every month. That is way more than the 20% of household without children. It's obvious that children love to eat a wide selection of ice cream flavors and other frozen desserts. Lastly, it was found that travelling families with children will more likely make a stop at a local ice cream shop than families without children.
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Teenagers
Ice cream shops are most likely to sell to the teenage market because teenagers love ice cream. For girls, healthy flavors are much popular. Thakfully, there's usually healthier ice cream options to eat if you're watching your diet. Boys, on the other hand, just eat ice cream regardless of their current situation.
Adults
The good thing about adults is that they remain loyal to their favorite ice cream flavors. Kids who once loved a certain ice cream flavor will most likely continue to love it when they become adults. According to surveys, new flavors today don’t appeal much to adults, but they definitely appeal to children. Having new flavors at your shop is a great way to increase ice cream sales this summer at your shop. Brand is considered an important factor in many customers. Consumers between the ages of 18 to 24 prefer to buy ice cream from a premium shop, while female customers 45 and older, put high priority on branded ice cream.
Other Customers
Most supermarkets and department stores offer different brands of ice cream. But there are some stores that have started diversifying their offering by catering towards a wide range of lifestyles. Some offer low-carb ice cream flavors that would be in line to a healthy diet. Today, it’s not so difficult today to find reduced fat, fat free, or no sugar added ice cream flavors.
Since there are many customers who love to try new flavors, some ice cream shops are trying to offer “create your own” ice cream. It is a great marketing idea for your ice cream shop that allows customers to truly choose the flavors and topping they want.
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