Ice cream has long been an impulse purchase for the convenience channel, tempting many of those passing an in-store freezer on a hot day and feeling the lure of the packaged treats and lazy licks.
These days, thanks to the ubiquity of food delivery platforms, impulse purchases are not confined to the physical store. You could be at home watching TV when you get a craving. With a few taps of your phone, a frozen treat will be at your door before the end of your show.
Uber Eats, one of the leading delivery apps in the market, claims to be witnessing double-digit growth in orders of cold desserts across its platform.
“Gelato enthusiasts have been the biggest beneficiaries of this recent trend, with gelato orders up nearly 80 per cent in 2021 compared with just 12 months earlier, while ice cream orders are up more than 60 per cent over the same time period,” an Uber Eats spokesperson says.
For Ampol’s The Foodary, ice cream is among the most popular products delivered from its stores.
“With the majority of our customers ordering in the early evening and late into the night, we give customers what they crave, when they need it,” Ampol Australia Delivery Operations Manager Jason Woodland says.
Ice cream is a core part of The Foodary’s delivery offer. In fact, basket data shared by the retailer reveals that ice cream is the ‘hero’ product for many customer orders, with other treats and essentials included as a top-up to the order.
“With the increasing popularity of ice cream delivery, our range has broadened quite considerably,” Mr Woodland says. “It wasn’t too long ago that we only offered ice cream tubs, but with the introduction of sticks and, more recently, ice cream sandwiches, we’re able to satisfy the tastes of all customers looking for their ice cream delivered fast.”
Read more about ice cream delivery in the April issue of Convenience World.
