Partial operations have begun in Kerala but the best months of summer, April and May, are turning out to be the worst. Ravi Menon, MD, Blendhub (India Hub), a company that offers product development facilities to food majors tells us, “Gujarat, UP, MP and north are regions where ice cream sales hit the peak during summer. April was a total disaster. This month and thereafter, the danger of downward sales looms.”

Monsoon around the corner will pose a problem as well. But more worrisome for those in the business is the battling the public perception involving consumption of ice cream. On the back of COVID-19, the World Health Organisation has been forced to issue a clarification, highlighting the safety of consuming the cold dessert. Menon said advertising campaigns are also seeking to dispel the fear in the minds of people. The usual ramp-up in March has built up the inventory of finished goods, not to forget the stock pile of raw materials. “All the players are having to contend with cash flow issues,” he added.

RG Chandramogan, CMD, Hatsun Agro, concurs on last month’s dismal sales. “We were impacted heavily in April, taking a hit of 15 per cent of what was achieved in the previous year. But this month, we are seeing an improvement,” he told DTNext. In such uncertain times, top brands have turned to innovative ways of reaching customers. Havmor has tied up with Dunzo to deliver its range of ice cream products to the consumers. Its Ice-Cream Xpress store on the delivery app will cater to eight cities including Chennai and Bengaluru. Anindya Dutta, MD, Havmor Ice-cream said, “It is imperative we reach out to the consumers directly to their homes.” The model is not without its critics as Chandramogan remarks distribution will be strained and “we don’t want to reach out this way.”

SCOOP, SLURP AND MORE…