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ICE CREAM MANUFACTURERS MORPH IN LINE WITH PANDEMIC TRENDS Golden North Sales Director Dimi Kyriazis says the company has noted growth in the ice cream grocery market of 17.2 per cent in its home state of South Australia across all segments in the six months to November \[IRI SA Grocery Weighted Dollars (000s) Growth % YA 6 mths to 22/11/20\], with Golden North outperforming the market with 21.5 per cent growth. He points to “remarkable” retail growth in a year of major disruption to business driven by Covid-19. “The food service sector took the biggest hit when Covid-19 first arrived, because hospitality and restaurants were closed down, whereas the retail sector has achieved remarkable growth as demand for prepacked food products – perceived as safe, hygienic and storage friendly – increased,” he said. “As a local ice cream manufacturer, the shift of consumer behaviour driven by Covid-19 has compelled us to adapt and change quickly according to the ever-changing environment.” Mr Kyriazis cites the biggest challenges faced during Covid-19 as including management of inventory and maintaining a key focus on the open sales channels, as well as production and workforce planning. “As most of the Covid restrictions have now been eased or removed, food service channels are steadily getting back to normal levels while retail sales still remain strong,” he said. Mr Kyriazis emphasises that after the Covid-19 outbreak, Golden North realised the value of being a trusted and reliable local brand to consumers, which he notes has driven a change in buying behaviour across Australia. “Retail food products of a premium 50 CONVENIENCE WORLD JAN/FEB, 2021 quality are generally considered as an affordable luxury and consumers were still willing to pay a premium for product quality, safety and indulgence,” he said. “We’ve seen huge growth in consumers’ passion to support locally owned and made products in an effort to help distressed communities. “Despite a generally premium retail price for Golden North products, our retail sales have grown stronger during the pandemic period as consumers recognised our 97-year-old Golden North brand to be a trusted ice cream brand that has never compromised on product quality. “Consumers are willing to support our products because of our emphasis on local ingredients and supply chain sourcing.” As to what lies ahead, Mr Kyriazis anticipates the challenge being the uncertainty associated with the longer- term economic impact from Covid-19, and the gradual lifting of JobSeeker/ JobKeeper subsidies. Nevertheless, he feels now is the time to continue to invest in the brand, and firmly believes that “staying true to product quality and focusing on bringing the best brand experience to Golden North’s patronage will get the brand through any storms ahead”. Although 2020 has been challenging, it has been an exciting year for Golden North with milestones achieved as a company. Last year the brand won a Canstar Blue customer satisfaction award for a third consecutive year with another top rating from Australian consumers for an ice cream tub. In addition, its Simply Indulge Ice Cream take-home range won the New Product Award at the South Australian Premier’s Food and Beverage Industry Awards, which recognised the brand’s rebranding project that “successfully found the perfect identity to represent the premium quality product”. Sustainability initiatives Golden North, as a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant with the vision of minimising the environmental impacts of packaging, focuses on sourcing recyclable packaging for its products. The brand’s products are promoted as being wholly palm oil free, meaning the ingredients used will not contribute to the rapid destruction of natural rainforests, the home of orangutans. “Golden North has been palm oil free since 2012,” Mr Kyriazis said. “It took us 12 months to make the change, and we’re proud to be 100 per cent palm oil free now. We’ll continue to play our part in assisting the environment by communicating the importance of the palm oil free message.”