Thinking of selling Ice Cream & Milkshakes. Any info/advice?

[SweetJo]

Hi.

I have kind of outgrown my current shop so am looking at moving into something bigger. With extra space and extra rent to pay I need to look at other things to sell. In the shopping centre where we are located no where sells ice cream (scooped ice cream in cones/tubs).

Does anyone on here sell that kind of ice cream? If so can you tell me if it is worth it? Do you make much profit from it? Clearly it will be much more popular in summer, but do you sell any over autumn and winter?

I was also thinking of a "Mr Whippy" machine, and milkshakes. Does anyone have experience of selling those?

 

[LuckySticksHarry]

I don't do it but looking at the weather forecast and weather which has been you may of missed out on the UK's very small quota of sunshine I suppose it's not a large test to do with it being tubs in the event of it failing?

 

[Billmccallum]

see http://www.eden-farm.co.uk/frozen.html

http://www.eden-farm.co.uk/full_pricelist.html

http://www.ashwood.biz/ice-cream-trade-1-c.asp

you need to decide if the investment is justified

 

[warnie]

We use Marshfield farm Ice cream. We brought our own 7 scoop freezer so we weren't tied in with anyone. This enabled us to negotiate a better deal with the Ice cream supplier. We sell them for £1.60 each and make just over £1 on each.

 

[SweetJo]

We use Marshfield farm Ice cream. We brought our own 7 scoop freezer so we weren't tied in with anyone. This enabled us to negotiate a better deal with the Ice cream supplier. We sell them for £1.60 each and make just over £1 on each.

That's what we're looking at - buying our own freezer. It seems like there is a good markup on scooped ice cream. Does anyone buy it over winter though? I think it will be brilliant during the summer, but I'm worried it will be pretty much redundant during the winter. I have found a couple of local suppliers who I can get the ice cream for 45p a scoop (maximum).

Part of me thinks it could be brilliant. In a nearby town there is an ice cream parlour that does a roaring trade. I'm just worried that it won't work out, and there's a lot to lose if it doesn't.

Bill - That Eden Farm is round the corner from where I keep my horse! I often have to negotiate their lorries on the country roads. Scary stuff on a horse who doesn't like lorries!

 

[Page]

What is the lot to lose ?

The cost of a freezer and ?

You can resell the freezer or even buy secondhand so the real world loss is low

provided you can find somewhere to store it you can always free the space in the winter time

10 seconds to find one on ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ICE-CREAM...1?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item4d1005e9b9

currently £113

 

[David1962]

What is the lot to lose ?

The cost of a freezer and ?

You can resell the freezer or even buy secondhand so the real world loss is low

provided you can find somewhere to store it you can always free the space in the winter time

10 seconds to find one on ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ICE-CREAM...1?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item4d1005e9b9

currently £113

Bad summer, loss of stock, loss of retail space. It's always a gamble and bloody commercial freezers are a gamble because they can/are unreliable, add to that the lack of any guarantee, unless you pay hundreds for a said guarantee, and you can easily end up making a significant loss.

 

[Mister B]

I think that it's quite a good idea...it's quite hard to find quality ice cream on the high street and even harder to find quality milk shakes. (Round here anyway.) Find something that adults can drink while the kids have milk shakes
and it could be a fruitful exercise. Which could obviously be milked

Mister B

 

[Unshoesual]

Friend of mine owns a sweet shop and they announced yesterday that they're no longer stocking milkshakes and smoothies. They're slightly different though as they're not in a shopping centre and slightly off the beaten track.

I think people will still buy reasonably priced ice cream in the winter. I tend to have a few scoops of it after I've had a meal out and fancy something sweet but not heavy. Perhaps stock less in the winter but like everything, once word of mouth spreads your reputation, I think you'll be selling it by the bucket load

 

[HBB new business team]

With all businesses taking the first step is the hardest.

Would I buy icecream in winter? I don't see why not, it's more of a treat than to keep you cool in this country so if you can find the traffic you are going to convert some people.

There are the associated costs and potential failure of equipment / loss of stock but you may be able to get insurance to cover this?

If you get the marketing right you could definitely make this work. It really is about branding in this area I think as you can appeal to multiple audiences if you get it right.

 

[SweetJo]

Thank you for all your replies

We have actually decided not to move into a bigger unit. It is too much of a jump in rent, therefore too much of a risk.

We have decided to improve our current unit instead. We are going to make the most of the small space available by having a move round and getting better shelving. We are going to rent a room in an office block over the street to store our extra stock (we currently don't have a stock room). We're also going to get new flooring, so the whole shop will be revamped and look much better.

We've started selling slush and that's going down well so far

 

[Page]

Bad summer, loss of stock, loss of retail space. It's always a gamble and bloody commercial freezers are a gamble because they can/are unreliable, add to that the lack of any guarantee, unless you pay hundreds for a said guarantee, and you can easily end up making a significant loss.

Ah but the possible gain versus the possible low is very strongly in your favour

You may lose a bit but only ever a bit since at any time you can pull out fast - you may only gain a bit - but you also have the chance to gain a lot

To my mind that is a go for it scenario

I know things have now changed but the principle remains the same
High risk (possible high loss) - low possible gain stay away
Low risk (max risk loss is low) - high possible gain - go for it

 

[SweetJo]

We think we will be able to fit in an ice cream scoop freezer when we refurbish our current shop. We have found a well known reputable supplier with lots of flavours. I'm now just worried that we will hardly sell any over winter and the freezer will not be making any money. We have no where out the back we could move it to during the winter. Decisions decisions :|

 

[David1962]

Ah but the possible gain versus the possible low is very strongly in your favour

You may lose a bit but only ever a bit since at any time you can pull out fast - you may only gain a bit - but you also have the chance to gain a lot

To my mind that is a go for it scenario

I know things have now changed but the principle remains the same
High risk (possible high loss) - low possible gain stay away
Low risk (max risk loss is low) - high possible gain - go for it

Generally you are looking at a six to eight week season for ice cream if the weather holds. You need to either have something else to sell from the freezer, or some where to store it, to make it pay during the other 44 weeks of the year. They are not cheap to run or maintain either, a cost that can't be ignored.

Not saying don't, just saying be aware of all the costs. Chances are it'll take you a couple of years to recoup the cost of the freezer and running cost. And if the bugger breaks down....

 

[Latebloomer]

I haven't got experience with ice cream but I met someone who does.

Ice cream and milkshakes are seasonal so you need a back up plan when ice cream is not selling very well.

The guy I am talking about works as a taxi driver in winter periods and then as Mr whippy on summer.

Good luck on your business.

 

[Hoppimike]

I haven't got experience with ice cream but I met someone who does.

Ice cream and milkshakes are seasonal so you need a back up plan when ice cream is not selling very well.

The guy I am talking about works as a taxi driver in winter periods and then as Mr whippy on summer.

Good luck on your business.

I always wondered what people with ice cream vans did in winter!!! lol


As for the plan about improving your current shop - that sounds really cool and positive! I think as long as you're confident that maximizing the space will be enough then it's a good idea - I guess it depends on the success you're getting and the speed at which you see the business expanding.

Also I agree that ice cream is risky at this point of the year... darn this country!

 

[SweetJo]

Our shop is 4.5 x 6m and that includes our staff/stock room and sink. We have outgrown it, it's a nightmare when we are really busy with three members of staff and a shop full of customers! So we really need to sort our storage, so we can fit more stock and make the place look smarter. It's going to be much less of a risk than our original plan of moving into a bigger and more expensive unit.

As for the ice cream, our busiest time of the year is December so it's not so much an issue of losing trade over winter, it's more something the size of a freezer taking up space that could be selling sweets. . . The good thing is that currently no where in the shopping centre sells ice cream (unless you count McDonald's and their McFlurries ).