May 2021
THE BULLETIN THE
OFFICIAL
PUBLICATION
OF
THE
NATIONAL
ICE
CREAM
RETAILERS
ASSOCIATION
Growing Your Business Safely Lists and tips to get your business headed in the right direction
nicramembersonly
nicraofficial
nicra_org
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Well, Its nearly that special time of the year; Early Bird Registration for our Annual Convention and Trade Show, or “Conecon” as we affectionately call it. (Sorry Charlie Bomboy) On the first of June, 2021 both early registration for the main event will open as well as reservations for the venue hotel, the Rosen Plaza, Orlando Florida. All of the information can at be found at www.conecon2021.com
We heartily encourage those wanting to attend to get in early to register and reserve your hotel space. The early bird cost of the event is $595 for the first person and $495 for additional attendees. The full agenda and all of the information is on the website. Why should you plan to attend this year? Well, this event is a biggest ice cream and frozen dessert trade show in the country with over 85 exhibitor booths, live demonstrations, workshops, competitions and much much more. AND this year’s event will host a number of “firsts”. The new NICRA mentor program - Cone-nect - will feature prominently this year. The trade show will run for three full days with single day tickets available for each day Show floor demonstrations will feature this year. AND.. A Major NICRA Announcement and Reveal that you wont what to miss Plus our keynote speaker this year is none other that the CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, John Lowe. John has a fascinating history in food service management and has lead Jeni’s development and growth for over 10 years in all areas of the companies frozen dessert marketing, operations and sales. We are very excited to have John spend time with our members. Remember, the 7th, 8th and 9th of November is a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday this year. After so many zoom, face time and virtual calls and events, we cant wait to see you all in person at this years Conecon. Regards,
Steve Christensen
Executive Director NICRA
1
If you have employees or team members on the Members Only Facebook Page please make sure they are listed as a sub account on your membership record. As we process names and additions to the page we look for matching membership records. If there are no matching membership records we cannot grant employees or team members access. Click over here to see how its done:
Going beyond what you thought you needed in a point-ofsale system. Prolific’s easy-to-use system lets you modify every menu to perfectly fit your business type.
2
Meegan Cronk Humble Cow Ice Cream Olympia, Washington Aja Jackson Ice Cream Queen Matteson, Illinois Charles Hendershot Penguin Ice Cream, LLC Bernardsville, New Jersey Lynn Hoban Lynn Hoban Marketing Collingswood, New Jersey
Mark Cohen Always Ice Cream Company, LLC Annapolis, Maryland Jessica Wood French Custard Kansas City, Missouri Michael Thomas Thomas' Donut and Snack Shop Panama City Beach, Florida AngelaGentile Cici Vino Amityville, New York
Beth Kaufman Proper Ice Cream Inc Delray Beach, Florida Dave Beach Kings Cupboard Red Lodge, Montana Thomas Cooper Coopers East Hampton, New York Alan Weiner Grandma Kona LLC Olney, Maryland Philip Harrell Sundae Scoop Virginia Beach, Virginia
FOOD SAFETY SUPPORT HOT-LINE FOR
SMALL/ARTISAN DAIRY PROCESSORS Not sure where to start? Our network of food safety experts from Universities across the US are here to help you take the next step by providing free one-on-one plan consultation and review.
315-787-2600
3
Dairyfoodsafetycoach@cornell.edu
Growing Your Business Safely Congratulations on successfully opening your store, completing your build out, hiring staff, training, marketing, and developing social media to generate a loyal following of customers. You may be wondering…What’s next? How can you expand your bottom line and enhance revenue? How can you expand your store's footprint to reach new audiences? Naturally, you are thinking the next likely goal is to expand your product reach. How better to accomplish this than distributing your products to local restaurants and markets to carry or feature your products. Before you call on the restaurants and regional retail outlets to distribute your products or begin researching new packaging, be sure you have the resources and infrastructure in place to meet this exciting opportunity. Having a Food Safety Program in place for your existing business can help ensure you grow your business safely. While you may not have the resources of a large corporation, industry and academia have rallied together to support this artisan demand by creating www.safeicecream.org. This website houses ALL the tools you need in one place! In addition, an online training course, which contains the essential
information you will need has been developed. This course allows you to go at your own pace, whenever convenient for you or jump around between relevant chapters and return to re-review at any time! The first step when you go to www.safeicecream.org is to review the Growing Your Business Safely Checklist (See Below). This Checklist details the top 15 topics to master. Each topic contains links to access pertinent information, useful tools, education videos and templates to help you master that section. A good jumping off point is to start at number 1 and work your way down the list. In # 1, start by utilizing the self-audit templates and the food safety program checklist provided on the website to help you take a deeper look at your facility with food safety in mind. This exercise will help you assess risks to your current product/business related to pathogens, allergens, and extraneous materials. Once completed, you can identify which areas to focus your efforts on for further education and how to properly develop documentation systems. Then go back to number 2 and visit each topic on the checklist where you can access related resources, educational videos, and templates.
4
As you progress through this process, know You are not alone! The Website even has a “Phone an Expert” feature, where additional resources and support personnel are available to assist you. They are just a click or phone call away so go to www.safeicecream.org today to begin your journey safely.
Crisis Preparedness Toolkit, Recall Program Template.
Growing Your Business Safely Checklist 1. Self-Audit- Lesson 1: Importance of Food Safety Excerpt, Food Safety Program Checklist, Self-Audit Templates: FDA's Food GMP Inspection Report, SQF Institute's Guidance, Tip Sheets and Checklists, Level 1 Audit.
10. Sanitary Design of Equipment- Lesson 6: Sanitation Excerpt.
2. Good Manufacturing Practices- Lesson 4: GMPs Excerpt, GMP Template, Welcome Letter Template for Visitors, Record keeping Template. 3. SSOPs - Sanitary Standard Operating Procedures- Lesson 6: Sanitation Excerpt, Lesson 8: Process Controls Excerpt. 4. Allergen Training- Lesson 5: Allergens Excerpt, Allergen Control Template. 5. Label Requirements- Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Labelling Manual. 6. Traceability Requirements, Receiving Logs Required Records-Transportation Template, Receiving Log Template Form.
7. Vendor Approval Process & Logs (including local vendors)- Lesson 7: Supplier Verification Excerpt,Supplier Verification Template, Supplier Questionnaire Template. 8. Recall Plan- Mock Recall Policy, Mock Recall Template, Guide to FDA Inspections & preparing for a Recall,
5
9. Facility Design-Layout, Traffic Patterns, Air Patterns, and Pest Control- Lesson 2: Food Safety Hazards Excerpt, Dairy Facility Design Checklist, Developing a Food Safety Plan.
11. Hazard Analysis- Lesson 2: Food Safety Hazards Excerpt, Hazard Analysis Summary. 12. Critical Control Points- Lesson 3: Food Safety Strategies Excerpt, Critical Control Point Deviation, Policy Deviation. 13. Pulling it all together – Your Food Safety Plan- Lesson 10: Roadmap Excerpt, Developing a Food Safety Plan, Templates/Workshops, Food Safety Plan Development Assistance. 14. Environmental Monitoring- Lesson 9: Environmental Monitoring Excerpt, Environmental Monitoring Handbook, Environmental Monitoring Workshop. 15. Re-Audit/Gap Analysis - Food Safety Program Checklist, FDA's Food GMP Inspection Report, SQF Institute's Guidance, Tip Sheets and Checklists, Level 1 Audit.
Heather Draper Director The Ice Cream Club, Inc. Boynton Beach, FL
We are excited to celebrate NICRA's History through the articles and images recently digitized from Yearbooks dating back to 1941. This particular image was published in the 1941 Edition of the yearbook. This was the first edition of NICRA's Yearbook and at this time the Association was called The National Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers or NAICM. Direction and editorship of this yearbook was under Ken Wallace. NICRA held their convention in Niagara Falls, NY this year.
6
7
Cool, Crazy, Cutting Edge, or Classic Trends in the Ice Cream Industry
Bullet-Proof Industry In many parts of the country, ice cream sales were pandemic proof and held relatively steady throughout 2020 and into the first part of 2021. People eat ice cream for all sorts of emotional reasons: happy celebrations, alleviating stress, stimulating comfort memories during times of uncertainty, rewarding small achievements, etc. Everyone experienced the gamut of emotions in the last year, and the ice cream industry thankfully benefited!
stainless steel counters became the signature look of commercial ice cream. Ice cream as a wholesome part of family life is still in the psyche of ice cream lovers everywhere.
Now that our world is getting closer to a new “normal”, there are definitely emerging style trends in all aspects of the ice cream industry. Some of these trends began well before the pandemic, but are becoming stronger now that people can get out more, and focus on things other than their immediate safety and health.
A New Level of Indulgence: Americans work hard, and they like to play hard too. Ice cream flavors that include exotic ingredients, combos of “guilty pleasure” inclusions, and rich elements have gained in popularity.
An American Story The history of ice cream in America is full of colorful individuals and brave entrepreneurs and, in many ways, represents the true American Success Story. Because of this vibrant history, part of the ice cream industry will always be tied to the classic image of the small, family-owned ice cream parlour or the mobile street cart bringing frozen treats to the masses. Bright, happy, pastel colors, crisp uniforms, and polished
Fast-Forward to 2021 Continuing in that entrepreneurial, “think outside the box” spirit, new and innovative flavors, recipes, packaging, and shop interior design trends are everywhere! Here are just a few of the major trends happening today broken down by category:
It’s Not Just for Kids Anymore: Ingredients suited to more mature, adult palates have become more common. Alcohol, coffee, salt, spices, herbal elements, teas, etc. are all found in signature flavors today. Creative Ice Cream Novelties & ChefInspired Desserts: Ice cream with donuts, Ice Cream Nachos, Candy-loaded Sundaes, Craft Soda Floats, Coffee Ice Cream Drinks, etc. Chefs in fine dining establishments are getting playful with ice cream
8
and incorporating it into dessert menus that complement their savory creations.
Sweets Central!: A successful business model growing everywhere is the “one stop shop” for all things sweet and indulgent. Shops that sell popcorn, candy, cookies and baked goods, sodas, donuts, AND ICE CREAM are popping up everywhere. Ice Cream Trucks & Trailers: Mobile units that can travel to festivals and events, and require minimal equipment and plumbing are a great way to get into the ice cream retail world. In our “new normal” foodservice world, consumers appreciate the walk-up window and reduced personal contact of buying from an ice cream truck or trailer too!
Millennials and Gen X-ers may respond better to a more subtle and sophisticated color palette when it comes to interior design. Neutral earth tones, blacks, greys and whites, and subtle pops of color create spaces where these younger adult generations want to spend time...with their friends, or with their children. A minimalist and sustainable vibe will also resonate with this generation of consumers. Biodegradable disposables are a must. Retro/Classic…”If it ‘aint broke, don’t fix it”!!: There will always be consumers who just want that classic, reliable, always satisfying flavor in a comfortable setting. Never forget: ice cream triggers memories, and positive memories have never been more needed! Having a combination of new trends, and older stand-bys seems to be a formula for success. Combining the past with the present and using the best of both worlds to your advantage is a good recipe!
Kelly Hopkins
9
Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company
10
8 Tips for Selling on Social Media Target Market Social media has solidified itself as an essential part of a marketing strategy, but many brands experience challenges turning followers into potential customers. While ecommerce businesses could initially only use their social platforms for exposure, added features now allow users to easily shop while they scroll. Now that you have the tools, we’re sharing our top tips for selling on social media.
the setup process is to start with a Facebook Shop. Because Facebook owns Instagram, you can set up your Facebook shop and immediately have your products available on your Facebook page, your Instagram profile, and have your shop appear in stories and ads.
Know the Requirements Before you get started, it’s important to know some of the basic rules of selling via social media. While you can find a complete list of requirements on Instagram’s website, here are some of the main points to keep in mind:
Once you’ve established your Facebook Shop, there are several features you can use to successfully sell on social media, particularly on Instagram. The Instagram Shop feature allows you to curate a list of shoppable products that users can find directly from your Instagram profile using the “View Shop” button.
Your business must be located in one of the 46 approved countries to use Instagram Shopping. You must have a business profile, sell physical products, and comply with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policy. The Facebook Business Page associated with your Instagram account can’t have country or age restrictions. Once you familiarize yourself with the basic requirements, proceeding with the setup process will become easier. One of our favorite tips during
11
Make Use of the Features Available to You
Instagram Shopping also offers tag features to showcase specific products within feed posts. By adding a tag to a specific post, the user can click to view the tag and instantly read product details such as the name and price of an item, and then click on the tag directly to view the product within the Instagram Shop. This feature helps make your products more visible to the casual scroller who may not be visiting your profile directly.
Stories shopping is another way to create a direct route between Instagram users and potential customers. Instagram Stories help create a more personal connection between the brand and its followers, but they’re also a great way to promote products. Once your brand’s follower count reaches 10K, you’re able to add “Swipe Up” links that easily connect your followers to a specific webpage, significantly increasing traffic and sales. Of course, many brands still utilize the “link in bio” feature, where they use the website line in their profile to take a user directly to their website. When it comes to selling on TikTok, the app has recently partnered with Shopify to add “Shop Now” buttons to certain brand’s video ads, but many businesses still choose to promote sales through an e-commerce link in their TikTok bio. Curate Your Feed Once you’ve read up on the basics, it’s time to either create or check in with your current profile. As we previously mentioned, your profile must be set up as a business profile in order to access the shopping features, and analytics (which we’ll address later on). Across all social media platforms, it’s important to have your handles match or come as close to matching as possible. It’s also a good idea to have the same, clear, recognizable profile image on each social platform. Then, as you create and publish your posts, make sure that what you’re putting on your profile reflects your brand. While it’s good practice to include images, graphics, and other aesthetic posts to break up product images, you want to ensure that everything flows together seamlessly. Run an Ad Campaign Ad campaigns are the best way for your posts and products to receive views they wouldn’t
otherwise get.Once your profile is set up and ready to go, you can decide how much you’d like to spend, which demographics to target, and how long you’d like them to run. If you’re running an ad campaign on your own, we suggest starting small. This could be a simple post promotion or beginning with a small ad budget to see how it performs without losing too much money. When you set up your ad campaign, make sure it’s clearly stated how users are able to make a purchase so you can increase your ROI. Offer a Social-Only Promotion If you’re interested in building your following while selling on social media, social-only promotions are a great way to establish a connection between your social profile and your e-commerce site. Whether you use Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Tiktok, you can offer a special discount code exclusively on social media to encourage your followers to start shopping. These promotions are also a good way for your current followers to help spread the word to other friends who may be interested in your products. Establish Partnerships Strength in number is definitely applicable to selling on social media– especially when you’re first starting out. Whether you’re brand new or just need a little boost, establishing partnerships with other businesses or influencers is a great way to increase your exposure and reel in some new followers. Giveaways are a common way for brands to join forces and gain new followers, but even some free crosspromotion can help reach new audiences and increase your sales.
12
Go Live In the last year, “Going Live” was solidified as a valuable way to reach audiences, especially after Facebook reported a 70% increase in Live views from February to March of 2020. After this sustained success, Instagram announced the newest feature: Instagram Live Shopping. This tool is handy for shops and influencers because the update allows creators to add up to 30 products from their Facebook Shop or Instagram Shop and then feature each item by pinning them one at a time during the live broadcast. Track Your Metrics To figure out what is and isn’t working for your business, it’s essential to keep an eye on your social media analytics. Instagram Insights and Facebook Insights offer valuable information on how a specific post is performing. Not only can you view engagement levels on the particular post, but you can also track your account’s performance as a whole. One final tip: separate your metrics for different kinds of posts. What may work well for Stories may differ from Shopping Posts, so creating some separation between the two can help give you a better idea of what your followers are responding to.
Target Market
13
DIREC DIREC DIREC DIREC DIREC DIREC Please verify the directory information on your NICRA membership page. This year's yearbook will include your listed store address.
We will be releasing specs for this 2022's NICRA Calendar soon! Keep your eyes peeled for information on appearing in next years calendar!
14
COME TO THE BIGGEST ICE CREAM & FROZEN DESSERT EVENT IN THE US Join hundreds of ice cream and frozen dessert retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and industry experts at the Annual Trade Show and Convention of the National Ice Cream Retailers Association. Date: 7th, 8th and 9th November 2021 Location: The Rozen Plaza, 9700 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
This year's event features the following events and activities: Over 80 exhibitor booths on the trade show floor. Over 30 keynotes, workshops, live demonstrations and events. $20,000 given away in our Bryce Thompson Scholarship Awards. Trophies and awards given to the Best Ice Creams of the year. $1500 worth of free trade show coupons to be given away. Registration opens June 1st 2021
15
MARKETING CALENDAR MAY 2021 Daily Holidays Batman Day: 1 Herb Day: 1 Space Day: 1 Lemonade Day: 2 Intergalactic Star Wars Day: 4 National Teacher Day: 4 Cinco de Mayo: 5 Russel Stover Candies Day: 6 National Train Day: 8 V E Day: 8 Mother's Day: 9 Eat What You Want Day: 11 Hostess Cupcake Day: 11 National Nutty Fudge Day: 12 National Chocolate Chip Day: 15 National Slider Day: 15 National BBQ Day: 16 I Love Reeses Day: 18 National Juice Slush Day: 19 World Bee Day: 20
National Pizza Party Day: 21 National Taffy Day: 23 Cookie Monster's Birthday: 25 National Wine Day: 25 Eat More Fruits & Vegetables Day: 27 National Hamburger Day: 28 Memorial Day: 30 Mint Julep Day: 30 Hamburger Day: 31 Memorial Day: 31 National Smile Day: 31
16
MARKETING CALENDAR JUNE 2021 Daily Holidays National Olive Day: 1 World Milk Day: 1 Wonder Woman Day: 3 World Bicycle Day: 3 Banana Split Days: 4-5 Donut Day: 4 World Environment Day: 5 Drive-in Movie Day: 6 Ghostbusters Day: 8 World Oceans Day: 8 Donald Duck Day: 9 National Cotton Candy Day: 11 Ramadan: 12-5/11 National Peanut Butter Cookie Day: 12 Roller Coaster Day: 13 Flag Day: 14 National Bourbon Day: 14 National Lobster Day: 15 Fudge Day: 16
17
National Garbage Man Day: 17 Clark Kent's Birthday (Superman): 18 International Sushi Day: 18 Wear Blue Day: 18 Mermaid Day: 19 World Juggling Day: 19 Father's Day: 20 Midsummer: 20 National Selfie Day: 21 World Rainforest Day: 22 National Eat At A Food Truck Day: 23 International Fairy Day : 24 Global Smurfs Day: 25 National Food Truck Day: 25 Harry Potter Day: 26 National Coconut Day: 26 Celebrate Joy Day: 27 California Avocado Day: 30 Social Media Day: 30
A NOTE FOR OUR SUPPLIER MEMBERS Hey there, Supplier Member. Hopefully by now you have seen quite a few changes in the way NICRA is improving member benefits and communicating with our members. Our main method of communication is still our monthly Bulletin published on the 10th of each month. Up until recently, the NICRA Bulletin has struggled to attract advertisers and we have been offering free ads to those supplier members who contributed an article.
THE GOOD NEWS IS..... We have recently put extra effort into increasing the effectiveness of the Bulletin with the following functions: Full Color Front Cover President and Executive Director Messages Monthly Food Safety Articles Marketing and Event Calendars More Links to articles and online content. This has led to high engagement through open rates and link clicks. With this higher engagement, we are having more inquiries by Supplier Members about advertising to our members again in the Bulletin. For this purpose, we are publishing the NICRA Bulletin Advertising rates for 2021.
Please find them as follows: 1 issues 3 issues
6 issues
11
issues 1/4 page
$70
$65
$60
$50
1/2 page
$90
$85
$80
$70
Full Page
$160
$150
$140
$120
DISPLAY ADVERTISING Frequency rates are based on the total number of insertions used within a twelvemonth period. Space Reservations: 10th of month preceding publication Material Deadline: 15th of month preceding publication.
Please direct any questions to Steve Christensen, Executive Director at the below contact details. 743 Spirit 40 Park Dr, Suite 121, Chesterfield MO 63005 636 778 1822 * Toll Free: 866-303-6960 E-Mail: info@nicra.org * Web: www.nicra.org
NICRA OFFICERS 2021 President Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Vice President Patti Otte, Sweet Firefly Gourmet Ice Cream, Richardson. TX Treasurer Charlie Wilcox, Marianne’s Ice Cream, Santa Cruz, CA
18
Secretary Kelly Larson, Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MI Immediate Past President George Xouris, Andia's Ice Cream, Cary, NC Executive Director Steve Christensen, Chesterfield, MO Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2021 Bob Hearn, Hearn’s Ice Cream, St Mary’s ON Canada Zach Burton, Nielsen Massey, Waukegan IL Christine D’Amico, Over the Top, Pleasant Hill IA Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2022 Charlie Bomboy, Bomboy's Homemade Ice Cream, Havre De Grace, MD Dirk White, The Alaskan Creamery, Sitka, AK Kyle Cameron, Joy Cone Company, Wirtz, PA Rick Pizzi, Pizzi Farm Ice Cream, Waltham, MA Jill Curran, Kimball Farm, Inc., Westford, MA Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2023 Valerie Henrici, Sue Kloter, Donnie Montgomery, Andy Jones, 2020 SUPPLIER OFFICERS President Ben Keser, Novelty Cone, Pennsauken Township, NJ Vice President Evan Waldt, Ice Cream Equipment Spec. Reno, NV Secretary/Treasurer Nichole Theriault, I.Rice & Company, Inc.. Philadelphia, PA Chairman Kyle Cameron, Joy Cone Co., Hermitage, PA COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Executive Committee David Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Nominating Committee George Xouris, Andia’s Homemade Ice Cream, Morrisville, NC
19
Convention Committee Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Membership Committee Patti Otte, Sweet Firefly Gourmet Ice Cream, Richardson. TX Ice Cream Clinic Committee Christine D’Amico, Over the Top, Pleasant Hill IA Scholarship Committee Sue Kloter, Kloter Ice Cream Barn, Ellington, CT NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY NICRA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all of its endeavors. To that end, NICRA shall not tolerate any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any inappropriate behavior in general against any person affiliated with NICRA, including its members and guests, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.
This Bulletin is published by: National Ice Cream Retailers Association 743 Spirit 40 Park Dr., Suite 121 Chesterfield, MO 63005 George Xouris, Chairman Publications Committee Steve Christensen, Executive Director, National Ice Cream Retailers Association.
This issue of the NICRA Bulletin is now available online at http://www.nicra.org. Click on the Members Only button and enter your Username and Password. If you cannot find your Username and Password, call the NICRA office at 866-303-6960 or send an e-mail to info@nicra.org requesting the information. IMPORTANT NOTE: Please “LIKE” us on Facebook using your personal Facebook page (not your business Facebook page) in order to receive our comments in your News Feed.