“The year 2016 was a good year for the company, but I cannot provide any estimates for this year’s ice cream consumption because its trend depends on the weather. We continue to make investments; we’re developing the distribution network and launched two new products. We’re investing a lot of our annual profit in the business,” Suceava-based ice cream producer Betty Ice owner Vasile Armenean said.
Ice cream consumption is highly seasonal in Romania, so 80% to 90% of a year’s sales are made during the summer. Vasile Armenean says companies have already started deliveries of ice cream to stores like they do every year. He did not see a significant rise in consumption during the cold season, though, he added.
“Over the past two years I’ve noticed a trend of consumers in Romania to eat ice cream during the winter amid the overall increase in consumer spending but nothing changes overnight.
Betty Ice products are available in both traditional and modern retail stores. The company also has its own retail chain and stands. Betty Ice has more than 100 ice cream stands operational throughout Romania during the summer.
It has four stores of its own in Brasov, Oradea, Sibiu and Cluj-Napoca and plans for development in big cities. The list of stores to be opened includes Bucharest, Constanta and Iasi, but development is not progressing as smoothly as intended because of permit securing delays.
“We want to invest in three stores this year, but I don’t think they’ll be done this year so we will open in 2018. We are working on papers at the moment, have not started construction work yet. Permits are really difficult to secure, especially now that mayors have changed (…).”
The company also sells its products via its online store, which only serves the Bucharest market.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)