Forced to discard their stock of ice creams during the first Covid wave, the city’s 25,000 premium and retail sellers now report a turn around, with patrons flocking to their joints.
Industry experts say ice cream sales is more than 85% than its pre-pandemic days, something Venkatesh Shanbhag, owner of four Natural Ice Cream outlets, confirms.
“Everything was closed during the first wave and we had to throw away our stocks,” Shanbhag said.
“We completely depended on online sales during the second wave. Now, after the third wave, customers are returning to our shops.”
The recovery is not total, he agrees. “People come to have ice cream after dinner. If we are to close our shops by then, they go home disappointed.
“We should be permitted to remain open at least till 1 am.”
Retailers noticed a spike in the sale of ice cream in the last two months. “There were instances last year when we had to discard ice cream stocks because they weren’t sold before the expiry date,” said the owner of a supermarket in Yelahanka.
High demand, soaring prices
Soaring demand and prices of raw materials like fruits, milk powder and cream are forcing ice cream makers to hike prices by five to six per cent, said Pradeep Pai, Treasurer, All India Ice Cream Manufacturers Association.
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(Published 26 April 2022, 19:35 IST)
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