Weather-sensitive products par excellence, ice cream takes full advantage of the strong summer heat. But not necessarily episodes of heat wave.
“It’s by far the best season we’ve ever had. We had never seen that!The Igloo glacier, in Carnac (Morbihan), has however experienced summers since its opening in 1974 in the Breton seaside resort. But never like this summer of 2022.”In July, we saw a 30% increase in our turnover compared to a normal month of July», Enthuses Alan Girard, co-manager of the Carnac institution. On the side of the Glaces of the Ferme du Bois Louvet, in Honfleur (Calvados), we swear here too to have “never had a summer like this“.
The heat and the virtual absence of rain over the whole of France since the start of the summer have made the glaciers smile, after a gloomy summer of 2021 which had succeeded a summer under Covid. “It is the exceptional duration of this phase of very good weather that benefits us more than the heat records.», Estimates Francis Herlaut, owner of Raimo Glacier, three shops in France (Paris, Deauville and Saint-Tropez). “The heat wave does not necessarily have a positive effect on us because people prefer to stay at home“, we abound at Fenocchio, famous Nice ice cream parlor.
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This exceptional weather seems to have benefited the glaciers of the northern half of France and the south-west more, where the sun is not necessarily a constant in July-August. “In Paris and Deauville, sales are up by more than 50%. In Saint-Tropez, nothing changes… The weather is always nice in summer“, points out Francis Herlaut, of Raimo Glacier. Thus, if in Carnac, Deauville or Honfleur we describe a historic season, we ignite a little less on the Côte d’Azur. “If the summer is better than in 2020 and 2021, we are still a little below the summer of 2019“, we say at Fenocchio.
Influx of tourists
Geographical differences confirmed by Bruno Aïm, president of the National Confederation of Glaciers of France (CNGF). “Overall, in July, we found the figures for the summer of 2019. But in certain regions, south-west, Brittany, Lyon region in particular, sales are slightly above, between 5 and 8%.»
“Even if we have dozens of flavors, people will always take a classic base (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, lemon…), which allows them to have a safe bet, and a slightly more original taste on the side . »
The Fenocchio ice cream family, in Nice
Compared to the two previous summers, the glaciers say they are also benefiting from the strong comeback of tourists, after two summers marred by health restrictions and fear of the Covid. “There are more crowds at resorts, and people want to enjoy their holidays, to have funobserves Bruno Aïm. Inevitably associated with summer, ice cream is the pleasure purchase par excellence, on which holidaymakers refuse to give up, despite galloping inflation and the rise in prices to which the glaciers have had to resort. “People still look at the prices more today and don’t hesitate to compare with the ice cream parlor next door.», Reports Denis Lavaud, founder of L’Angélys (6 stores in France).
In terms of flavours, the sweltering summer of 2022 has apparently not turned the hit parade of the favorite flavors of the French upside down. “The number one is still and always vanillanotes Bruno Aïm, who also notes the good hold of the salted butter caramel. Like every summer, the more refreshing sorbets are also selling extremely well. To the point, at L’Igloo in Carnac, to titillate the domination of vanilla. “We sell almost as much lemon as vanilla“, explains Alan Girard. As for L’Angélys, we note a breakthrough in the passion fruit fragrance. “Even if we have dozens of flavors, people will always take a classic base (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, lemon…), which allows them to have a safe bet, and a slightly more original taste on the side», Explains the Fenocchio family, in Nice.
Supermarket ice creams are also at the party
Industrial ice cream, sold in supermarkets, also benefited greatly from the strong summer heat. Sales soared, over the May-August period, by 28% (in value) compared to last summer, and by 15% compared to the summer of 2020, according to data from the analysis company NielsenIQ. Sales driven by three categories of ice cream: cones, sticks and ice cream for children. Private labels, as well as Extrême and Magnum, take the lion’s share of brands.
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Ice cream cravings shared by more French people this summer. “To date, there have been more French people having bought at least one ice cream in 2022 compared to the summers of 2021 and 2020», Underlines NielsenIQ. But “difficult to speak of a basic trend because the performance of ice cream is very, very correlated with temperatures“, judge Emily Mayer, of the IRI. Thus, the stormy deterioration expected next week could put a brake on sales, before a milder last week of August and therefore more conducive to a vanilla-strawberry cone for the most classic, or a red wine ice cream or foie gras for the more adventurous.