Fipe’s business guide for ice cream parlors

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The almost constant demand for artisan ice cream by the Italian consumers is pushing the ice cream parlors to shorten the winter closing period and remain open 12 months a year. This is demonstrated by the data collected by the Italian Federation Fipe in its “Guida di business della gelateria” (Ice cream parlor business guide) presented at Sigep, the International Trade Show of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and the Coffee World. The artisan ice cream sector is worth 4.2 billion euros and includes 74,000 direct employees. “The ice cream sector – underlines the President of Fipe Lino Enrico Stoppani – is an extremely lively business in which the quality, not only of the product but also of the entrepreneurship, is increasingly decisive for success. An expanding market, an increasingly appreciated product, but a sector characterized by strong turnover, fierce competition and reduced margins. It is precisely in contexts like this that knowing the market, developing a credible business model and committing to innovate become decisive to ensure entrepreneurial success prospects. In this new Fipe’s guide, first of all a context map is offered, and then many operational indications for those who want to invest in this sector, or for those who want to rethink their positioning and seek opportunities for commercial innovation in the Italian food sector, approaching it as a whole with a professionally structured vision”.
According to Fipe, 43% of the 39,000 ice cream parlors in Italy are concentrated in the South and islands. The data presented in the Guide show that 37% of the ice cream parlors now work all year round, giving up on the traditional seasonal closings. In addition, 95% of the interviewees prefer specialized shops: not pastry shops or bars, for example, but shops that offer only artisan ice cream. Finally, 63% of people say they have their trusted ice cream parlor, where the consumer can find a genuine product (66.8%) and a vast assortment of flavors (33.2%). When it happens that people have to look for a new ice cream parlor, only one Italian out of three relies on social networks. The percentage reaches about 38% considering those looking for advice on TripAdvisor or Google. Word of mouth dominates: 89.9% of people trust the suggestions of their acquaintances.