More ice cream please
“Record months” and “extremely good sales” - that’s how Sweden’s ice cream producers and breweries describe the summer thus far. The warm weather has certainly brought in some serious dough during June and July.
“We’ve had an amazing increase (in sales) this summer. In July we sold 31% more ice cream than in July 2012. We’ve first and foremost managed very well with popsicles, cones, and bars this summer,” says Martin Hesselgren, Marketing Director at Triumfglass ice cream producers.
For Siaglass, another ice cream producer, the sales have gone up as well. Between May and July they sold close to 30% more than during the same period last year.
“It’s clear that the constant warm weather this summer has been an influence,” says Per Stenström, chairman of the board for Siaglass. The increase is mostly due to the sales of “spontaneous ice creams”, which have been sold in kiosks and grocery stores. Even Hemglass has noticed an increase in sales this year: Their sales are up 6% compared to last year. “We don’t benefit as much by spontaneous sales of ice cream, on beaches for instance, as our competitors. But we still see a clear increase. Last summer was very rainy. Now we’re at the same level we were in 2011,” says Managing Director Mikael Sahlsten.

But not only ice cream sales are increasing, alcohol sales are as well. Systembolaget (the government owned chain of liquor stores in Sweden, and the only retail store allowed to sell alcoholic beverages that contain more than 3.5% alcohol) increases their sales with around 15% every summer. What most Swedes thirst for is light beer and rosé wines. Carlsberg Sweden has reached record numbers with their beer Carlsberg non alcoholic, which sold 15% more in July as last year the same month. Never before has that beer sold as much during one month, according to Communication Director Henric Byström. “The weather partly is an important factor, but there’s also a health trend right now where alcohol free alternatives sell very well. Carlsberg was also a sponsor in the European Soccer Championship, and that has added to the why the sales has gone up. In totally during June and July we’ve sold almost 10% more drinks than the same months last year,” he says. Kopparbergs breweries agree: From May to the last of July, their sales were 10% higher than in 2012. “The sun is important for (the sales of) ice cream and soda, but for beer and cider it is important with warm weather. During July we sold 20% more than in July last year. It’s been extremely good,” says CEO Peter Bronsman.

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